Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:25): My question is for the Premier. In two weeks the world’s largest weapons manufacturers will gather in Melbourne for the Land Forces expo to showcase their products to trade delegates from around the world, including those that fuel Israel’s genocide in Palestine and violent oppression across the world. The principal sponsor of Land Forces is the Victorian Labor government. In response to community opposition, Labor is mobilising 1800 ‍police. The mounted branch and the riot squad will be there to ensure that this weapons convention can continue to operate in heightened local and global circumstances. Land Forces creates an unacceptable risk to safety, peace and social cohesion here in Victoria. Will the Premier be a leader for peace, step in now and cancel the Land Forces expo?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I did not hear the last part of the question from the member for Richmond. The member for Richmond will be heard in silence. Just the last part of your question, member for Richmond.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI: Land Forces creates an unacceptable risk to safety, peace and social cohesion here in Victoria. Will the Premier be a leader for peace, step in now and cancel the Land Forces expo?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Narre Warren North is warned.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:27): I thank the member for Richmond for the opportunity to provide clarity and completely reject her characterisation of the Land Forces conference that is being hosted here in Victoria in conjunction with the Australian Army between 11 and 13 ‍September. This is an international event where we will be hosting visitors from around the world who will be engaging in a number of meetings alongside a trade and investment presentation from those involved in the defence industry. Yes, it is a defence industry conference, and it is an industry that is a legitimate industry and an industry that supports tens of thousands of jobs in our community. As a government we do support the defence industry in terms of the work they do in employing tens of thousands of hardworking Victorians.

In terms of the reference that the Greens member made regarding risks to safety and peace, the only risk that is presented to social cohesion in this state comes from those who want to use conflict overseas to drive conflict on the streets of Melbourne. Anyone who does this should and must be condemned. They should not abuse the privilege of this place to stoke further fear and division. What we should be doing as a united Parliament is supporting those – whether they be from Israel or Palestine, whether they be from Ukraine or Russia, whether they come from Sudan, where there is horrific conflict – in all parts of the world. We should be showing them love and support and care, not using that conflict that is happening that is devastating families here.

I would suggest to any member of Parliament who wants to use events like this to stoke further division, fear and violence – because I can tell you what, having attended the state Labor conference, where the member for Brunswick was standing with people behaving in a completely unacceptable way – we have to show leadership. We have to show leadership on this critically important issue.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:30): The Victorian government’s responsibility should be first and foremost to this community, not to protect multinational weapons companies by bringing their wars –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Melbourne can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Melbourne withdrew from chamber.

The SPEAKER: I ask members on my right to cease interjecting and let the member for Richmond have her question.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI: The Victorian government’s responsibility should be first and foremost to protect this community, not the multinational weapons companies by bringing their wars and their weapons to our peaceful city. Melbourne is a peaceful city, but the Minister for Police has threatened protesters, saying:

Every resource that we can bring to bear will come down on top of you.

Under the Victorian charter of human rights, police must respect and protect the right to protest. They must not use force or other measures to limit or disperse peaceful protesters. By international human rights standards, disruption, civil disobedience and peaceful direct action are keystones of the right to protest and are not considered violent either in practice or under the law. So does the Premier support the right to peaceful protest?

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing order 120, I would ask you to consider – even if you took it away and considered it – the fact that this may be an opportunity for you to make a ruling on incitement. My view is that the words that the member is using are inciting and are undermining social cohesion, and I think it would be fair to say that both sides of this chamber have that view. I would ask you to consider making a ruling on that.

The SPEAKER: I take on board what the Manager of Opposition Business has raised. It is not a point of order. However, I do ask the member for Richmond to address her questions to the chamber according to the standing orders in relation to being relevant, succinct and factual.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:33): In answer to the member for Richmond’s question about whether I support peaceful protest, of course I do. My question to the member for Richmond is: does the member for Brunswick support peaceful protest, or does he support protests that result in violence? Does the member for Richmond support peaceful protest, or does she support protests that bring more violence to the streets of our city? Does the member for Prahran support peaceful protest, or does he support his colleagues? Does the member for Melbourne? I say this because we will not be lectured by the Greens political party about peaceful protest, and I will not stand by and allow this sort of behaviour to come to the floor of this Parliament. This is the place for leadership, and on no more important an issue than social cohesion I will ensure that violence overseas does not bring violence to our streets.