Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) supports the right to peaceful protest in Australia;

(b) congratulates and thanks the protestors who, on 30 November 2016, expressed their views in the gallery of the House of Representatives, otherwise known as the People's House; and

(c) calls on the Government to close the immigration camps on Manus Island and Nauru.

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason I oppose this motion about these demonstrators is that I go back as far as the Builders Labourers Federation, when Norm Galllagher and crowd came into my radio studio and threatened me. They stopped at the door—right at the door of the studio—because they realised that, under some World War II law, if they walked into my studio then they would break the law and be in real trouble. They stayed outside; I went out and talked to them. The same thing should apply here in the people's parliament. They should not be allowed to get in there. If they do get in there, there should be laws—they are probably in existence now—where than can be treated harshly, punished for it.

That is not what this parliament is meant to be about. If you were at the White House or in the capital of the United States of America and you tried to do this, you would be arrested, you would be charged and you would be in jail for 10 years. I support peaceful protests; I support them being out there. I have been down there with the protesters against organ transplants—the Falun Gong—and that is fine. But in this case here, they are in our parliament and they are wrong. (Time expired)

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

We oppose Senator McKim's motion because the protesters he dares to congratulate from WACA are violent, control orientated, left-wing extremists. They flirt with being outlaws. Their words and actions of are violet. They costed taxpayers large sums of money with the interruption to parliament and damage to property. This group is so violent that they have caused the cancellation of a peaceful gathering of the Jewish community this coming weekend. Security agencies informed us that the same group who interrupted parliament yesterday—WACA—were planning on being violent and extreme in their behaviour towards a Jewish community gathering in Melbourne.

I have serious questions about whether Senator McKim assisted the protesters to destroy property and disrupt parliament, as members of my staff witnessed him cavorting with these same protesters yesterday morning. This mob, cuddled by Senator McKim, pose a risk to the dignity and safety of the Jewish community who were going to attend an event this Sunday. That the Greens would saddle up with these extremists is an indication of how much contempt the Greens have for our democracy.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek the leave of the chamber to make a short statement.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, in response to Senator Hinch, I understand that the protesters were in fact in the public gallery and not on the floor of the House, which is a place where every Australian citizen should be encouraged to go to watch the House of Representatives and, for that matter, the Senate in action. The second point to make is that these were peaceful and nonviolent protests. One of the problems with politics these days is that the people who are elected to parliaments to represent citizens are too divorced and too inside the bubble in this place. What happened yesterday was that the bubble was burst, and the Greens think that is a good thing.

Finally, in response to the umpteenth conspiracy theory that Mr Roberts has put before this Senate chamber, the protesters received no assistance from me. I did not cavort or anything else with them on the morning of the protest. I had no association with them whatsoever before the protest. I did go down afterwards to congratulate them with Senator Di Natale, which I am really proud of.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will just apologised to those senators who actually denied formality for Senator McKim. Because of the noise in the chamber, I did not understand that you were seeking my attention. I thought you actually interjecting.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a statement for 10 seconds.

Leave not granted.

Question negatived.