Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Reports are that Dezi Freeman, who shot and killed two police officers in Victoria, has been shot and killed himself, and there won't be much mourning done for this cop killer. Anybody who draws weapons on police deserves what is coming to them. We have seen a rise in recent times of sovereign citizens in this nation, and it is extremely worrying. I wrote an editorial many years ago—many, many years ago—and said that police officers who draw their weapons were damned if they did and dead if they didn't, and there were a number of people who were criticising police at the time in a number of high-profile incidents where police did what the community expected of them. We have seen, in both Queensland and Victoria, officers slain by people who have drawn weapons. We have to protect our police. Police have to protect their police. We've seen it all too often in recent times. I have personal experience of this, of police officers not being protected by their own. Police officers do a darn fine job, and I commend them for it. I'm just glad that we've now got in Mal Lanyon a police commissioner in New South Wales who will stick up for his officers, and I certainly give him every respect in that regard.

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