Anthony Albanese stood up in Parliament eight months ago to apologise to his staff for pro-Palestine protesters blocking access to his office in his inner-west Sydney electorate.
But fast forward to today and the PM’s constituency office in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west, is still closed to the public, with staff warned it is too dangerous to work there and the Prime Minister himself unable to visit.
As the PM was branded ‘weak’ by the Opposition last night, Mr Albanese bizarrely refused to ask the authorities to move the protesters on – or at least, clear a path for locals.
Mr Albanese already knew he had a problem last December, when he apologised to his staff days before Christmas for the havoc pro-Palestine demonstrations were causing.
‘To Tim Murray [manager of the PMs electorate office] and my electorate staff… I’m sorry that there are so many demonstrations at the moment,’ the PM told Parliament.
‘Blocking an electorate office of a member of parliament doesn’t change a political decision.
‘What it does is stop people who need their local member from getting access on issues of social security, health care and others.’
But more than eight months later and the PM’s constituents are still being prevented from discussing vital services such as Centrelink and Medicare assistance at his electorate office.
Anthony Albanese stood up in Parliament eight months ago to apologise to his staff for pro-Palestine protesters blocking access to his office in his inner-west Sydney electorate
The outside of the PM’s office in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west, has been occupied by a pro-Palestine encampment – preventing constituents from accessing the office
Just yesterday, a spokesperson to the PM confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the ongoing blockade of his office is causing a ‘disruption for vulnerable Australians seeking help’.
Yet Mr Albanese remains unwilling to break up the protests to do something about that.
That’s despite the fact the protestors are breaking the law by fixing signs to the taxpayer-funded electorate office and squatting within the boundaries of the property itself.
When Daily Mail Australia enquired how such a situation could be allowed to happen, a spokesperson for the PM said ‘citizens in a democracy have a right to peaceful protest.’
Asked to explain the inconsistency between allowing protestors in the PM’s backyard to block entry to his office and affix signs to the building when attempts to do the same thing at Parliament House in Canberra last week resulted in serious action, the PM’s spokesperson declined to give a response.
On those occasions protestors are arrested, fined and removed.
Pro-Palestine protesters have stopped Mr Albanese from using his own office – and his constituents from visiting and accessing its services. Authorities haven’t lifted a finger
Some of the signage out the front of the property
In his speech to Parliament last year the PM noted that ‘the Middle East is a very difficult issue, but my electorate office are not responsible for anything that is happening there’.
Despite not being responsible, staff have had to endure most of the year being dislodged from their workplace, with no end in sight.
Meanwhile, constituents needing to access vital services such as assistance with Centrelink payments or help navigating the NDIS or guidance about how to access crisis support services can’t get the help they need by visiting the office.
The blockade also means constituents can’t access the premises to obtain items such as Australian flags or copies of the Uluṟu Statement, which are made available in electorate offices across the country. The PM’s electorate recorded one of the highest Yes votes for the Voice at last year’s referendum.
Pro-Palestinian protestors scaled onto the roof of Australian Parliament last week. Their presence was not tolerated
All electorate offices are soon due to receive posters of King Charles to replace the posters of Queen Elizabeth II that have previously been available for constituents to access.
But not in the PM’s electorate, which recorded one of the highest republican votes at the 1999 referendum.
Opposition Leader in the Senate, Simon Birmingham, told Daily Mail Australia the PM needs to take action:
‘Anthony Albanese needs to act on the threat that Greens and extremists pose rather than acquiescing to them.
‘Protests are rightly protected in a society of free speech but indefinite barricades and blockades are not.
‘The PMs constituents deserve access to their local MP just like any other Australian. It’s time for Mr Albanese to stop seeking sympathy for closures of his office and to get authorities to act on these blockades.’
Liberal MP Ted O’Brien said Mr Albanese’s constituents deserved better.
‘It’s true that the electorate office staff don’t deserve this and nor do the locals, but it’s also a sad indictment of the Prime Minister’s authority or lack thereof,’ he said.
‘To leave the situation unresolved for so long sends a message of weakness beyond the Prime Minister’s own electorate.
‘I stand with the people of Grayndler.’
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said: ‘The targeting of electorate offices is completely unacceptable and we need stronger action to stamp it out for good. We stand ready to support stronger measures to stop these attacks so electorate offices can reopen to do their important work.
‘But it feels like this government has lost control on social cohesion, we are seeing real pressures boil over; our war memorials are being defaced, MPs are being targeted and our Parliament has been subject to unacceptable displays of hate and ignorance.’
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said Mr Albanese needed to stand up to the protestors.
‘The PM should no longer accept this indulgent behaviour,’ she said.
‘Being a prime minister, and the leader of the country, you can’t be passive in this situation. Peaceful protests shouldn’t be able to obstruct the work of local parliamentarians engaging with their constituents.’