House debates

Monday, 22 July 2019

Statements by Members

Environmental Activism

1:50 pm

Photo of George ChristensenGeorge Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

A bunch of serial offenders, the extreme green protesters who call themselves the Extinction Rebellion, are going the right way about causing their own extinction with their continual disruption of people in the Brisbane CBD. They were at it again this morning under a different name, blocking the entrance to a concrete business which is trying to get some urgent work to a nursing home. And I understand we've got some other protestors, including foreigners—yes, foreign interference in Australian politics—up at Abbott Point, near Bowen, who have been arrested for obstructing access to the coal terminal. These green grandstanders have a range of silly and dangerous tricks to cause disruption.

Rather than telling the people of Brisbane to leave their cars at home so these fruitcakes can waste everyone's time, the Queensland Labor government needs to enable its law enforcement officers and the courts to take stronger action to stop the rot. Regardless of what names they want to call themselves, these groups are filled with the same sense of misguided moral superiority. When Bob Brown and his crew decided to come and tell the people of Central and North Queensland what jobs we can have, what industries we can work in and what companies we can support, people sent their own message right back at them. But the green extremists still don't get it. I call on the Queensland Labor government to take tougher action to aid the re-education of all of these ecoterrorists that are filling our streets, blocking the access of law-abiding citizens to businesses and to their work, holding up work in Central Queensland and North Queensland—it's an absolute disgrace that it's allowed to go on without immediate police action.