Western Victoria Region
Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:37): (1954) My question is for the Minister for Police, and it concerns yesterday’s police withdrawal of a charge of incitement to contravene public health directions against Ballarat mother Zoe Buhler. Ms Buhler’s great crime in August 2020 was to put a message on Facebook promoting a peaceful protest, with social-distancing measures and masks, to end lockdowns and stand for human rights. Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius alleged Ms Buhler had engaged in serious criminal behaviour. He referred to those objecting to lockdowns as ‘batshit crazy’. How serious was this charge, now that it has been dropped weeks away from a state election? My question is this: will the minister sack the assistant police commissioner and the Chief Commissioner of Police, who have overseen the politicisation of policing in Victoria and the legal brutalisation of those who disagreed with their Labor Premier and his penchant for fear-driven ideology?
The PRESIDENT: Mrs McArthur, I am sorry. You went over time, and I allowed that. But your constituency question I do not think is a constituency question. I do not believe it is a constituency question. You cannot ask the minister to sack the commissioner.
Mrs McARTHUR: Well, it is to do with a constituent in my electorate. Who else is going to ask him to sack him if I don’t?
The PRESIDENT: Mrs McArthur, I told you I did not believe that you should do that, and you kept talking about it. I have ruled it out.