Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Freedom of speech

Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:18): (1703) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action I seek is for an assurance that proposed protest laws will not infringe on Victorians’ right to peacefully protest around places of religious worship. Late last year the Victorian government announced their plans to restrict Victorians’ right to protest. Included in these plans was a proposal to introduce new laws to protect the right of people to gather and pray free from fear, harassment and intimidation. The government has suggested that this could include the establishment of safe access areas around places of religious worship to prohibit protest or amendments to existing offences to protect against disturbance of religious gatherings. While we have not yet seen any proposed laws, the details of these laws would be complex and there would be many questions that need to be answered. Until these questions are answered, we do have grave concerns. Take, for instance, victim-survivors of institutional child abuse, a number of whom recently stood with me in this chamber to call for better access to justice. These proposed laws have the potential to mute their calls. These people were gravely harmed by institutions like the church, and it was only through decades of tireless advocacy, including protests at religious institutions, that their voices are now starting to be heard. These laws risk criminalising things like protests at funerals held at churches for known child sexual abusers and longstanding movements like the Loud Fence, the tying of ribbons outside St Patrick’s Cathedral in Ballarat to recognise victim-survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

Banning protests outside places of religious worship using safe access zones is government overreach. It is a perversion of the protections former member Fiona Patten helped enshrine in law for access to abortions. People visiting religious institutions are already protected by our laws that prohibit acts of violence and vilification. By banning protests around places of worship we are in effect banning religious institutions from being held accountable for their wrongdoing. We are also simultaneously failing to do anything meaningful to prevent violence in the community. So I ask: will the Premier provide an assurance that these proposed protest laws will not infringe Victorians’ rights to peacefully protest around places of religious worship?