Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has been pretty ugly to see the Prime Minister of Australia chase the votes of those people who brought gallows to the steps of the Victorian parliament, especially because more than 90 per cent of Victorians have rolled up their sleeves and got the vaccination to protect themselves, their family, their community and their country. But there is a noisy minority that needs to be called out. People marching in the streets of Melbourne with gallows and nooses need to be called out unequivocally, with strength and by all members of this place, but sadly we did not see that from the Prime Minister.

This week, I got a call from a nurse who works at a hospital. Her identity needs to be kept anonymous. On the way to work on the weekend, crossing by those protesters, wearing her scrubs, she was spat on, abused and yelled at by the people who were in the so-called freedom rallies this weekend. We on this side of the House understand that vaccinations are important to opening up our country and getting on with our lives. We need to see leadership from all sides of this House to protect people like that nurse so it doesn't happen again.