David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts for bringing this urgency motion to the Senate, and I stand to speak in support of it. The rights to peaceful assembly and protest are freedoms that form the bedrock of our democracy. They have been the driving forces behind significant progress throughout our history. Environmental conservation, women's suffrage and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have all been advanced through protest. Yet today the right to peaceful protest is under unprecedented attack. We are seeing laws and regulations being enacted to limit and suppress the voices of Australians seeking to exercise their right to protest. This not only threatens our ability to gather in peaceful protests. It threatens the very foundation of our democracy, because peaceful protest is more than just a public demonstration; it is an act of civic engagement—a way for people to voice dissent and demand change when traditional political channels fail.

In recent times we have seen the criminalisation of peaceful protests on major roads, with criminal penalties of up to two years in prison. We have seen penalties for merely obstructing public places increased from 750 bucks to $50,000. Even more concerning is the normalisation of repressive tactics. Climate activists are now facing legal action from major corporations in the form of strategic lawsuits against public participation, referred to as SLAPP lawsuits. These lawsuits aim to intimidate and silence activists through costly and time-consuming litigation.

This is why we must act now to protect these rights before they are further eroded. We need clear legal frameworks that prioritise human rights, not laws that restrict them—because protest is not a disruption; it's democracy in action. It is how citizens hold power to account and ensure that governments serve the people, not the other way around.

The rights to peaceful association and protest are too important to be left undefended. We must stand up for these rights now, before they are lost. Most importantly, we must ensure that future generations inherit a democracy where every voice can be heard and where peaceful protest and non-violent direct action are not only protected but celebrated.