“I was surprised to see old mate with me up on the stage, if I’m honest, but I thought he was there to fix the microphone. I quite like living in a country where people have opportunities to express their view,” Chalmers said on Thursday.
Many MPs contacted by this masthead did not respond to requests for comment, reflecting their fear of being targeted and a desire not to be seen as opposing citizens’ right to speak.
However, Resources Minister Madeleine King is on the front line of protest against fossil fuels.
Protesters’ actions have become increasingly intimidating in recent years, she said, adding that “ultimately hurts democracy”.
“I never thought I would see the day the resources minister of Australia would need [police] protection to speak at a resources conference in a country that depends on resources for its prolonged prosperity,” King said.
Independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall said she only supported peaceful and respectful forms of protest.
“When you’re in the public service as a member of parliament, safety is paramount and there shouldn’t be any concerns around MPs,” she said.
“Politicians gaslight on … saying they care about an issue, but their actions aren’t consistent with that – so accountability matters.
“At the end of the day, politics is about responding to community concerns and a politician that’s not capable of doing that on the spot is in the wrong job.”
Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said that while protests are an important part of democracy, some groups want to shut down different opinions.
“They’re gaming the system in order to disrupt and stop conversations and debate,” McKenzie said. “I don’t think it is any different for men or women but the image of Julia Gillard being bundled shoeless into a car by her security detail was not good.”
Then-prime minister Julia Gillard (bottom left, in white) is bundled into a car after she was confronted by hundreds of protesters from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Former South Australian Liberal MP Nicole Flint, who is running again this year, has previously labelled a bird-dogging campaign against her by the left-wing group GetUp! during the 2019 election sexist and dangerous.
The Australian Federal Police are increasing their security detail for public appearances by Labor MPs who work in portfolios related to climate change and energy as security agencies warn of threats to politicians’ safety.
The government has set a legally binding target to cut emissions 43 per cent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. The opposition has also committed to reach net zero, but has said it will not detail its near-term goals until it forms government.
Schofield defended the right to peaceful protest.
“Rising Tide only acts peacefully and non-violently, and at the end of the day, we live in a democracy, and I think that citizens do have a right to engage in peaceful protest even if it does make publicly elected officials uncomfortable because they don’t want to answer the questions that we’re asking.”
Rising Tide is a volunteer group which is not affiliated with any other organisations but shares a name with similar movements around the world. It is funded by donations but Schofield declined to detail how much money they might spend campaigning in the election.
Tim Beshara, a policy and strategy manager for the Wilderness Society, said bird-dogging is a legitimate tactic when politicians fail to listen to the public’s concerns.
“It’s a symptom of the community not having a fair say. An effective politician who is proud of their record and confident of the public’s support would seize upon an opportunity like someone turning up to a press conference with a koala suit. It would give them a colourful platform to tell their story.”
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Veteran anti-nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney, awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for helping to establish the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, said the upcoming federal election would see an explosion of bird-dogging tactics, particularly for the Coalition, in part because of its nuclear plan.
This masthead reported on Friday that the Liberal Party has not used the word “nuclear” in any of its 24 paid ads running on Meta’s social media sites, prompting accusations it was hiding its policy.
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