In a nation where politicians insist it is time to open up and learn to live with COVID-19, Parliament House in Canberra was among the most locked-down buildings in the country on Tuesday.
The public galleries of the House of Representatives and the Senate were as empty as the waiting rooms of a thousand aged care homes.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during an apology in the House of Representatives.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Heaven forbid, of course, that we mention aged care.
Anthony Albanese’s opposition tried every which way to demand the government debate the COVID crisis that has taken the lives of more than 600 in aged care homes this year, and has infected almost 12,000 residents and workers in more than 1100 facilities.
But there was nothing doing.
Every attempt to bring on debate was met with a firm stop sign from Leader of the House Peter Dutton, who, backed by government numbers, insisted “that the Member be no longer heard”.
Even when the Speaker, the Prime Minister and a cascade of political leaders earlier acknowledged the treatment of women in parliamentary workplaces had been appalling, the public was all but absent. Only six young women sat in the gallery to hear the apology.
They included Brittany Higgins, allegedly raped by a work colleague, and Rachelle Miller, whose former relationship with Alan Tudge has led to Tudge standing aside as Education Minister while Ms Miller’s allegations of abuse are investigated.
Even then, Ms Higgins and Ms Miller were permitted to hear the parliamentary apology only after both told the media they had not been invited.
There was a pretty obvious reason the powers that be wanted the people’s parliament to be closed to the people.
Outside, anti-vaxxers and those professing they were simply opposed to vaccine mandates roiled about and waved their various flags as they have for days now, some of them promising to upend the political system and others intent on singing patriotic songs before tailing off, having forgotten the words.
Anti-vaccine mandate protests outside Parliament House on Tuesday.Credit:James Brickwood
One gentleman wandered about in a pointed tinfoil hat, perhaps to ward off the mysterious rays that some of these curious types believe are the cause of COVID.
Liberal senator Gerard Rennick waded into this sea of exotica, promising to help fight the mandates, to get a protest letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and to “make sure our children don’t get vaccinated”.
Former Liberal MP turned United Australia Party candidate, Craig Kelly, used his Members’ authority to sign into Parliament House a bunch of protesters, some of them waving mask exemptions.
The group, followed by police and security staff, were permitted to go no further than Kelly’s office, where they sat around for half an hour, not a mask to be seen.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The Prime Minister, forced by protocol to sit in the House within a metre of his deputy, Barnaby Joyce – the fellow who called Morrison a hypocrite and liar last year in a phone text to Brittany Higgins – comforted himself by spending almost 10 minutes congratulating the Queen on her platinum jubilee.
He chuckled happily about the splendid time the Queen was ushered to the London Olympics by James Bond, who, he said, was played by “James Craig”. Fortunately, Daniel Craig couldn’t have got into Parliament if he’d wished to correct the record.
Perhaps the Prime Minister’s concentration was elsewhere.
The Coalition party room – which usually settles its various positions by mid-morning – seemed as restive as an anti-vaxxer protest over the government’s approach to religious discrimination legislation, and couldn’t manage to reach any agreement until late afternoon.
Despite hand-wringing from the party’s so-called moderates, the result was as expected: kids couldn’t be tossed out of religious schools for being gay, but transgender students were expendable.
Best, perhaps, that the public was banned. You need a strong stomach for Parliament these days.
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