Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister please update the House on the outcome of police attending to the so-called protests that took place this morning in Canberra?

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. The incidents this morning that were conducted outside this place were not conducted in the usual peaceful way that we are accustomed to seeing events take place outside this place. They were not registered and they were not expected. And, frankly, they weren't protests. Let's call it what it was: it was premeditated vandalism and property damage.

The Australian Federal Police responded very quickly to both of these incidents and eight people have been arrested. Three offenders were put under arrest at the Lodge and AFP officers arrested a further five offenders at Parliament House. Once again, the AFP has been at the front line, and I thank them for their ongoing dedication to keeping our community here safe.

I join with the Prime Minister and other members of this place in saying that this sort of violent, damaging protest has no place in Australian political debate. I think Australians will be very shocked by the scenes that they will see replayed from out the front and in our national capital today, because they know that this is not how we get a point across in Australia. We all condemn this sort of wilful planned behaviour which, frankly, endangers protesters, the public and law enforcement officers alike. This is not the Australian way.

I would also like to make the point, as I did when my own office was vandalised about a month ago, that damage to public property is not a minor matter. It ends up costing every single taxpayer. It's stupid, it's unnecessary and it's against the law. I say to these people that when you damage public property you do even more damage to your own cause. The right to protest is a fundamental right in our society and we all respect peaceful protests that are conducted safely and lawfully. But our government will not be swayed by attempts to intimidate through violence or destruction. Our law enforcement agencies will respond swiftly and decisively, as they have today, to incidents of this nature.