House debates Questions without Notice

Electoral System

Wednesday, 16 September 2026 House of Representatives

Mr Tony Burke

Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House

2:58 pm

And wouldn't you think the Leader of the Opposition, on hearing something like that, might join together and simply react with, 'That is unacceptable'? But that's not the reaction from that man. That man hears me say the words 'paid to stalk, paid to disrupt and paid to intimidate', and nothing in his character gives him pause for thought. Nothing in his character gives him a moment where he says those things might be unacceptable.

The member for Blair was harassed, stalked and followed to his car. The member for Calare had candidates coming up in large numbers, from booth to booth, to follow and physically intimidate. The member for Corangamite was physically blocked from being able to conduct conversations with constituents.

Recent media reports have said the following: 'A crew of far-right agitators paid to harass the Prime Minister and his ministers, as well as Greens and teal Independent candidates,' and, 'They used guns-for-hire outside the church—Neo-Nazi associates, pro-Putin conspiracists and even an ex-Liberal staffer.' One of the people involved 'had been pictured alongside Neo-Nazis at a white supremacist gathering in Melbourne, and chat logs reveal he also appeared in private Neo-Nazi groups on Telegram'.

Every member of parliament should hear that and condemn it. Every member of parliament who hears that should say, 'This is not what Australian democracy is meant to be about.' Many members of this House on each side have had calls from me when there have been threats to their security. Without exception, I want everyone to be able to participate in our democracy and do so safely and, when they hear allegations like this, to fearlessly condemn them.

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