Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Democracy has ground rules. Peaceful protest is one of them. The protesters in Melbourne are living in an alternative reality where no wars exist, where all disputes are settled over tea and scones, where acts of violence like people being butchered in their homes are met with a slap on the wrist. There are more wars now than in any time in human history, and they are more protracted. This coincides with more people living under authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes and fewer living under open democracies. As global conflict worsens, some want us to shut down our defence industries. What do they want to defend Australians with? Sticks and stones, or perhaps horse poop, bricks, battery acid or verbal abuse?

The presence of a Greens MP at the protest says it all. Laid bare is there their extremism and incitement to violence. The fingerprints of the Greens are all over this and should give pause for anyone considering voting for them at the next election. We have enough extremists on the streets. We don't need any more in this House. Yesterday was proof that they are true to their colours as a party of protest.

While the Libs said, 'Get a job,' I say get a job that builds bridges and strengthens democracy, because we have enough voices driving us into corners. What we need to do is meet in the middle.