I am deeply appalled by the police response to peaceful protesters in Sydney last night, who were demonstrating against the invitation of Israel's Prime Minister Herzog. The cross-party support for this visit – from Labor, the Coalition parties, and One Nation – proceeded despite significant public concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the potential for civil unrest.
The Greens' principled opposition and their warnings about possible disruption have proved prescient. The scenes we witnessed raise serious questions about the proportionality of the police response and the judgement of those responsible for these decisions.
I believe history will judge this decision harshly for Prime Minister Albanese, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon. When peaceful democratic protest – a cornerstone of our society – is met with such brutal force, we must ask ourselves what kind of precedent we are setting.
This moment has crystallised for me the importance of supporting representatives whose values align with protecting civil liberties and pursuing ethical foreign policy. The Greens and certain Independents have demonstrated moral clarity on this issue, and they will have my considered support.
I encourage everyone to become politically astute and informed. Democracy requires us to hold our elected officials accountable, particularly when their decisions impact fundamental rights and our nation's moral standing. We must support politicians whose policies reflect our deepest values, not simply vote along traditional party lines.
As a lifelong Labor supporter, this decision represents a breaking point. While Labor has delivered excellent policies in many areas, its recent choices – particularly on matters of human rights and civil liberties – have compromised the values I believed it stood for.
Meanwhile, the political landscape offers little comfort elsewhere: The Liberal-National Coalition remains fractured and directionless. One Nation's leader openly embraces Trump's divisive politics and cultivates relationships with billionaire elites, yet commands significant popular support even though they consistently vote against support for ordinary Australians.
In this vacuum of principled leadership, only the Greens and select Independents are consistently championing the humanitarian values and democratic freedoms that should be non-negotiable in Australian politics. They have earned not just my vote, but my active support.
The question before us is clear: do we reward parties that take our votes for granted, or do we vote for the Australia we actually want to see?
Cedar Rivers
The Greens' principled opposition and their warnings about possible disruption have proved prescient. The scenes we witnessed raise serious questions about the proportionality of the police response and the judgement of those responsible for these decisions.
I believe history will judge this decision harshly for Prime Minister Albanese, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon. When peaceful democratic protest – a cornerstone of our society – is met with such brutal force, we must ask ourselves what kind of precedent we are setting.
This moment has crystallised for me the importance of supporting representatives whose values align with protecting civil liberties and pursuing ethical foreign policy. The Greens and certain Independents have demonstrated moral clarity on this issue, and they will have my considered support.
I encourage everyone to become politically astute and informed. Democracy requires us to hold our elected officials accountable, particularly when their decisions impact fundamental rights and our nation's moral standing. We must support politicians whose policies reflect our deepest values, not simply vote along traditional party lines.
As a lifelong Labor supporter, this decision represents a breaking point. While Labor has delivered excellent policies in many areas, its recent choices – particularly on matters of human rights and civil liberties – have compromised the values I believed it stood for.
Meanwhile, the political landscape offers little comfort elsewhere: The Liberal-National Coalition remains fractured and directionless. One Nation's leader openly embraces Trump's divisive politics and cultivates relationships with billionaire elites, yet commands significant popular support even though they consistently vote against support for ordinary Australians.
In this vacuum of principled leadership, only the Greens and select Independents are consistently championing the humanitarian values and democratic freedoms that should be non-negotiable in Australian politics. They have earned not just my vote, but my active support.
The question before us is clear: do we reward parties that take our votes for granted, or do we vote for the Australia we actually want to see?
Cedar Rivers
