Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was alarmed and dismayed to see the reports this week of the storming of the Kenyan parliament by protesters. At least 23 people have lost their lives in the protests and scores more have been injured. Politicians were evacuated from the parliament before police were able to regain control.

A little under two years ago, I attended that very magnificent building and met with the then Kenyan foreign affairs cabinet secretary, Dr Alfred Mutua, as part of a cross-parliamentary delegation with Save the Children. We all defend without reservation the right of people in a democracy to peaceful protest. The storming of a parliament, however, is fundamentally undemocratic. I feel for the representatives of the Kenyan parliament, who would have been terrified in those circumstances.

I saw a lot of good work being done in Kenya but also a great deal of hardship. I know that the Kenyan members of parliament go to work every day, just as we do, to try and create a better future for their citizens. The regular, predictable and safe administration of the parliament and the executive is only possible if every one of us upholds and cherishes the institutions and mores upon which a parliamentary democracy finds its footing. Democracy isn't a static thing, but a living organism that needs to be nurtured and maintained. We must always try to pass on a better, more robust democracy to the next generation. I send my best wishes to the members of the Kenyan parliament.