Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion. None of us not want to see this. It is a beautiful Parliament House the way it was designed—and, yes, to be open to the public. We would all dearly love to live in a utopian world; it does not exist. We are now faced with terrorism, murder on our streets and threats of bombings. It is the police and ASIO only that have protected us. It is not about having a connection with the public, as Senator Di Natale said, and for them to have access to us. We also have a responsibility to the public that come to this place. They have to feel safe when they come here.

When I arrived this morning and I saw protesters putting up a huge banner—and it would have taken a lot of time to get it to that stage—and scaling the walls, I was very concerned about that and I questioned the security here. No, I do not want to see barriers and fences. No, I do not want to see this cost to the taxpayer. But I know friends and other people who are frightened to go to the shopping centre.

Senator Hinch made the comment about the look of it. Well, then, I question him about his own home. Has he got security grilles on it? Has he got a huge fence? Does he protect his own house from people who may want to invade it? What harm does he live in fear of? Because we all live in fear.

So the fact is I do support this. I am sorry to see it, but this is a fact of life, and I say to the other senators here: wake up.