SHOALHAVEN City Councillor Annette Alldrick and 50 local Labor Party members certainly got more than they bargained for during a visit to Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday.
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The group were seated in the front of the public gallery during question time which was interrupted as around 25 protesters voiced their disapproval of Australia's treatment of asylum seekers.
“I had noticed the group sitting right next to us. A few of them [the protesters] looked a bit uncomfortable,” Cr Alldrick said.
“At the time there was nothing I could put my finger on but then all of a sudden as one of the Liberal Party members was asking a question they stood up walked in front of us and started unfurling a banner and chanting about the treatment of refugees on Manus Island and Naru.
“Some even superglued their hands to the bannister. How they got superglue into parliament house, which is usually in metal containers, was beyond me. We had to go through so many metal detectors to get into the building.”
To chants of “close the camps” question time was suspended.
“We were moved to the other side of the gallery,” Cr Alldrick said.
“The majority of the Liberal MPs left the house but the Labor members stayed. Leader Bill Shorten said leaving would have given the protesters’ actions more credence.
“It was an interesting day to say the least.”
Cr Alldrick said the group had had an amazing day at Parliament House taking part in the annual luncheon for the St Vincent de Paul Society, hosted by Jenny Macklin
“We were special guests of Wollongong Labor MP Stephen Jones and were given a tour of the building, got to meet and talk with a number of MPs as well as supporting the annual fundraising luncheon event,” she said.
“It was great to be able to see parliament working up close. We also got to visit areas the public are not normally allowed.”
The protest prompted recollections of the notorious 1996 union protest that turned violent and breached the front doors of Parliament House.
The protests continued for the second day in a row on Thursday morning, this time protesters scaled the building's front wall and unfurled a banner saying "close the bloody camps now".
The group, also including a dozen people also waded into the ceremonial pool in Parliament's forecourt, is again targeting Australia's immigration policies.