Protest plugged

By Melissa Meehan
PLUG the Pipe protestors who disrupted the first day of Parliament have stood by their actions amid accusations that they upset the democratic process.
For the first time in more than a decade the Lower House public gallery was closed for the day after protestors opposing the north-south pipeline got to their feet and shouted questions to Premier John Brumby.
Last week the Minister for Northern Victoria and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development Kaye Darveniza condemned the behaviour of protestors saying that they showed disrespect for the people of Victoria and the democratic processes of Parliament.
But Plug the Pipe spokesman Mike Dalmau said it was the Government that was disrupting the democratic process.
He said members of his group had organised tickets for themselves to watch Parliament proceedings after a rally on Tuesday last week (5 February).
“A small number of people from Plug the Pipe attended Parliament to observe question time and were very displeased with the way the Premier handled himself,” Mr Dalmau said.
“They believed that he was holding the democratic process in contempt.”
Mr Dalmau said that one member of the group then stood up and asked a question and was asked to leave.
Another then followed his lead and asked another question.
Speaker of the House Jenny Lindell warned that any further disruption from the gallery would lead to it being cleared.
Mr Dalmau said that another member got to his feet and asked another question.
“That’s why the gallery was cleared.
“There were no threats or abuse, just a couple of questions,” Mr Dalmau said.
He said the protestors chanted as they left the gallery.
Another spokesman for Plug the Pipe Ken Pattison said the pipeline project was announced with no consultation, in total opposition to pre-election promises and with no environmental impacts assessment.
“Did they disturb the Parliamentary process? Yes. Did they disturb the democratic process? No,” Mr Pattison said.
“In the end, they were trying to restore democracy, the right of people to have their say, defend the wellbeing of the people and expose the actions of incompetent government.”
Protest action started hours earlier when about 100 people gathered on the Parliament steps to protest the channel deepening project, the north-south pipeline, the desalination plant, plans to add fluoride to Geelong’s water supplies, the St Kilda Triangle development, the lifting of the ban on GM crops and logging in water catchments.
A joint statement made it clear that the groups represented had divergent views on some of these issues but that they could agree on two things.
They say the Brumby Government has mismanaged Victoria’s water resources, and that he is showing contempt for community involvement and expert advice on key environmental decisions.
Ms Darveniza condemned the behaviour of protestors saying that they showed disrespect for the people of Victoria and the democratic process of Parliament.
“The Brumby Government supports the democratic right to protest peacefully but the unruly behaviour displayed by the Liberal and National Party aligned protestors in the Parliamentary gallery was outrageous,” Ms Darvenzia said.
“It is one thing to make your point in a dignified and peaceful protest outside Parliament, it is quite another to disrupt democracy and force the gallery to be cleared.”
Ms Darveniza said that the Sugarloaf Pipeline was a key piece of infrastructure of the Brumby Government’s $4.9 million water plan.
“Without the Sugarloaf Pipeline there would not be a $1 billion investment in modernising irrigation infrastructure in northern Victoria to provide 150 billion litres of additional water for irrigators and the environment,” Ms Darveniza said.