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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
‘Told not to speak': MP's bombshell claim
A NSW Labor MP claims he was told he 'would not be allowed to speak' by a senior official during a debate about Palestine at a party conference late last year. Labor MLC Anthony D'Adam told the Legislative Council during a late-afternoon address on Thursday that the official said he could not be sure that Mr D'Adam's comments would not 'harm the Labor Party'. 'It is often argued that we should keep our debates inside party forums, but what option are we given if even in the forums where debates are supposed to occur, dissenting voices are not allowed to be heard,' he said. Tens of thousands of people attended the pro-Palestine march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Mr D'Adam claimed he was 'howled down, abused' and urged to resign following a meeting of the Labor caucus earlier this week when, he said, he sought to 'make pointed criticisms of the Premier in respect to the issues of Palestine' and the Sydney Harbour Bridge protest. Members of the NSW Labor Party broke ranks over the weekend to join members of the Greens and crossbench who rallied with more than 100,000 pro-Palestine protesters across the bridge after the Supreme Court shot down a bid by police to stop the march. Labor MLC Anthony D'Adam said he was well known for his 'dissenting views' on Palestine. Twitter Credit: Supplied Premier Chris Minns had been vehemently opposed to the march, repeatedly stating that a pro-Palestine protest across the bridge should never be allowed to occur. In his speech, Mr D'Adams claims a motion was moved to 'gag' him from speaking and his critique of the Premier was 'political' and not personal. 'During the caucus debate, I could see the fear in the faces and hear it in the voices of my colleagues,' Mr D'Adams said. Premier Chris Minns had been vehemently opposed to the march. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'They were concerned that this type of conflict could cost them their seats or their ministries. 'It is this fear that is driving a risk-averse culture in our party, but the challenges that we face as a society require bold government.' Mr D'Adam said issues such as war and 'climate catastrophe' would not be solved by 'whispered conversations in quiet corners of government'. He admitted his 'dissenting views' on Palestine were well known and 'put him at odds with the current leadership of the party' at both state and federal level. 'I believe there is room in the Labor Party for those who hold opinions like mine,' Mr D'Adam said. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was among the protesters. Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia 'I fear, however, there is a growing intolerance in the Labor Party for dissent that is stultifying the party's internal culture, and it is producing a stale groupthink. 'If we do not accommodate dissent, then it finds home elsewhere, and Labor becomes a narrow party devoid of debate, the kind of debate that is essential to the party.' State and federal Labor members attended Sunday's march, including NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib. Former federal minister Ed Husic was also in attendance. Mr Minns' office and the NSW Labor Party were contacted for comment.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
NSW Labor MP Anthony D'Adam's bombshell claim over Palestine
A NSW Labor MP claims he was told he 'would not be allowed to speak' by a senior official during a debate about Palestine at a party conference late last year. Labor MLC Anthony D'Adam told the Legislative Council during a late-afternoon address on Thursday that the official said he could not be sure that Mr D'Adam's comments would not 'harm the Labor Party'. 'It is often argued that we should keep our debates inside party forums, but what option are we given if even in the forums where debates are supposed to occur, dissenting voices are not allowed to be heard,' he said. Mr D'Adam claimed he was 'howled down, abused' and urged to resign following a meeting of the Labor caucus earlier this week when, he said, he sought to 'make pointed criticisms of the Premier in respect to the issues of Palestine' and the Sydney Harbour Bridge protest. Members of the NSW Labor Party broke ranks over the weekend to join members of the Greens and crossbench who rallied with more than 100,000 pro-Palestine protesters across the bridge after the Supreme Court shot down a bid by police to stop the march. Premier Chris Minns had been vehemently opposed to the march, repeatedly stating that a pro-Palestine protest across the bridge should never be allowed to occur. In his speech, Mr D'Adams claims a motion was moved to 'gag' him from speaking and his critique of the Premier was 'political' and not personal. 'During the caucus debate, I could see the fear in the faces and hear it in the voices of my colleagues,' Mr D'Adams said. 'They were concerned that this type of conflict could cost them their seats or their ministries. 'It is this fear that is driving a risk-averse culture in our party, but the challenges that we face as a society require bold government.' Mr D'Adam said issues such as war and 'climate catastrophe' would not be solved by 'whispered conversations in quiet corners of government'. He admitted his 'dissenting views' on Palestine were well known and 'put him at odds with the current leadership of the party' at both state and federal level. 'I believe there is room in the Labor Party for those who hold opinions like mine,' Mr D'Adam said. 'I fear, however, there is a growing intolerance in the Labor Party for dissent that is stultifying the party's internal culture, and it is producing a stale groupthink. 'If we do not accommodate dissent, then it finds home elsewhere, and Labor becomes a narrow party devoid of debate, the kind of debate that is essential to the party.' State and federal Labor members attended Sunday's march, including NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib. Former federal minister Ed Husic was also in attendance. Mr Minns' office and the NSW Labor Party were contacted for comment. Originally published as 'Told not to speak': NSW Labor MP's bombshell claim over Palestine
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Friendly fire: 'authoritarian' Labor Party cops a spray
Labor leadership is "authoritarian" and the party has slumped into "stale groupthink", one of the party's MPs has claimed during an extraordinary late-night spray in parliament. Anthony D'Adam accused fellow NSW Labor MPs of "bullying behaviour" in a caucus meeting where he criticised Premier Chris Minns for his handling of a pro-Palestine demonstration on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Before police adopted a formal position on the protest, Mr Minns called for it to be scrapped, saying it would bring chaos to Sydney's streets. Despite his opposition, a number of state Labor MPs, including Mr D'Adam, were part of the crowd of more than 100,000 people that marched across the bridge. Mr D'Adam said he used a caucus meeting on Monday to make "pointed criticisms" about the premier's position on Palestine and protests. "I was howled down, abused and told I should resign from the Labor Party, and a motion was moved to gag me from speaking," he said in parliament on Thursday night. "In my entire time in parliament, I have never witnessed such an event. "No apology has been received for the bullying behaviour I was forced to endure. It is deeply disturbing that the caucus appears incapable of entertaining dissenting views and took the step that it did." Mr D'Adam, who has been in NSW parliament since 2019 and worked for decades in the union movement, said a growing intolerance of dissenting views within Labor had produced "a stale groupthink". "But my experience has been that the party is increasingly centralised and authoritarian in its disposition," he said. While Mr D'Adam has regularly used parliament to criticise government policies, particularly crackdowns on protests, none has been so damning of the premier and party culture. He is not the only NSW Labor MP to openly criticise the premier in recent weeks. Fellow MPs Stephen Lawrence and Sarah Kaine, who were also part of the weekend bridge march, have argued Mr Minns' largely anti-protest stance runs counter to Labor Party values. "I am a member of the Labor Party, not the Liberal Party. Our party is founded on protest and collective action," Mr Lawrence said. A well-known advocate for the Palestinian people, Mr D'Adam claimed he was stopped from speaking on the topic at last year's state Labor conference. Labor's national party platform calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East, for Palestine to be recognised as a state and for the issue to be an important priority for the Australian government. Federal leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have yet to recognise Palestinian statehood despite moves from similar counties like France, Canada and the United Kingdom to do so. Labor leadership is "authoritarian" and the party has slumped into "stale groupthink", one of the party's MPs has claimed during an extraordinary late-night spray in parliament. Anthony D'Adam accused fellow NSW Labor MPs of "bullying behaviour" in a caucus meeting where he criticised Premier Chris Minns for his handling of a pro-Palestine demonstration on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Before police adopted a formal position on the protest, Mr Minns called for it to be scrapped, saying it would bring chaos to Sydney's streets. Despite his opposition, a number of state Labor MPs, including Mr D'Adam, were part of the crowd of more than 100,000 people that marched across the bridge. Mr D'Adam said he used a caucus meeting on Monday to make "pointed criticisms" about the premier's position on Palestine and protests. "I was howled down, abused and told I should resign from the Labor Party, and a motion was moved to gag me from speaking," he said in parliament on Thursday night. "In my entire time in parliament, I have never witnessed such an event. "No apology has been received for the bullying behaviour I was forced to endure. It is deeply disturbing that the caucus appears incapable of entertaining dissenting views and took the step that it did." Mr D'Adam, who has been in NSW parliament since 2019 and worked for decades in the union movement, said a growing intolerance of dissenting views within Labor had produced "a stale groupthink". "But my experience has been that the party is increasingly centralised and authoritarian in its disposition," he said. While Mr D'Adam has regularly used parliament to criticise government policies, particularly crackdowns on protests, none has been so damning of the premier and party culture. He is not the only NSW Labor MP to openly criticise the premier in recent weeks. Fellow MPs Stephen Lawrence and Sarah Kaine, who were also part of the weekend bridge march, have argued Mr Minns' largely anti-protest stance runs counter to Labor Party values. "I am a member of the Labor Party, not the Liberal Party. Our party is founded on protest and collective action," Mr Lawrence said. A well-known advocate for the Palestinian people, Mr D'Adam claimed he was stopped from speaking on the topic at last year's state Labor conference. Labor's national party platform calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East, for Palestine to be recognised as a state and for the issue to be an important priority for the Australian government. Federal leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have yet to recognise Palestinian statehood despite moves from similar counties like France, Canada and the United Kingdom to do so. Labor leadership is "authoritarian" and the party has slumped into "stale groupthink", one of the party's MPs has claimed during an extraordinary late-night spray in parliament. Anthony D'Adam accused fellow NSW Labor MPs of "bullying behaviour" in a caucus meeting where he criticised Premier Chris Minns for his handling of a pro-Palestine demonstration on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Before police adopted a formal position on the protest, Mr Minns called for it to be scrapped, saying it would bring chaos to Sydney's streets. Despite his opposition, a number of state Labor MPs, including Mr D'Adam, were part of the crowd of more than 100,000 people that marched across the bridge. Mr D'Adam said he used a caucus meeting on Monday to make "pointed criticisms" about the premier's position on Palestine and protests. "I was howled down, abused and told I should resign from the Labor Party, and a motion was moved to gag me from speaking," he said in parliament on Thursday night. "In my entire time in parliament, I have never witnessed such an event. "No apology has been received for the bullying behaviour I was forced to endure. It is deeply disturbing that the caucus appears incapable of entertaining dissenting views and took the step that it did." Mr D'Adam, who has been in NSW parliament since 2019 and worked for decades in the union movement, said a growing intolerance of dissenting views within Labor had produced "a stale groupthink". "But my experience has been that the party is increasingly centralised and authoritarian in its disposition," he said. While Mr D'Adam has regularly used parliament to criticise government policies, particularly crackdowns on protests, none has been so damning of the premier and party culture. He is not the only NSW Labor MP to openly criticise the premier in recent weeks. Fellow MPs Stephen Lawrence and Sarah Kaine, who were also part of the weekend bridge march, have argued Mr Minns' largely anti-protest stance runs counter to Labor Party values. "I am a member of the Labor Party, not the Liberal Party. Our party is founded on protest and collective action," Mr Lawrence said. A well-known advocate for the Palestinian people, Mr D'Adam claimed he was stopped from speaking on the topic at last year's state Labor conference. Labor's national party platform calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East, for Palestine to be recognised as a state and for the issue to be an important priority for the Australian government. Federal leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have yet to recognise Palestinian statehood despite moves from similar counties like France, Canada and the United Kingdom to do so. Labor leadership is "authoritarian" and the party has slumped into "stale groupthink", one of the party's MPs has claimed during an extraordinary late-night spray in parliament. Anthony D'Adam accused fellow NSW Labor MPs of "bullying behaviour" in a caucus meeting where he criticised Premier Chris Minns for his handling of a pro-Palestine demonstration on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Before police adopted a formal position on the protest, Mr Minns called for it to be scrapped, saying it would bring chaos to Sydney's streets. Despite his opposition, a number of state Labor MPs, including Mr D'Adam, were part of the crowd of more than 100,000 people that marched across the bridge. Mr D'Adam said he used a caucus meeting on Monday to make "pointed criticisms" about the premier's position on Palestine and protests. "I was howled down, abused and told I should resign from the Labor Party, and a motion was moved to gag me from speaking," he said in parliament on Thursday night. "In my entire time in parliament, I have never witnessed such an event. "No apology has been received for the bullying behaviour I was forced to endure. It is deeply disturbing that the caucus appears incapable of entertaining dissenting views and took the step that it did." Mr D'Adam, who has been in NSW parliament since 2019 and worked for decades in the union movement, said a growing intolerance of dissenting views within Labor had produced "a stale groupthink". "But my experience has been that the party is increasingly centralised and authoritarian in its disposition," he said. While Mr D'Adam has regularly used parliament to criticise government policies, particularly crackdowns on protests, none has been so damning of the premier and party culture. He is not the only NSW Labor MP to openly criticise the premier in recent weeks. Fellow MPs Stephen Lawrence and Sarah Kaine, who were also part of the weekend bridge march, have argued Mr Minns' largely anti-protest stance runs counter to Labor Party values. "I am a member of the Labor Party, not the Liberal Party. Our party is founded on protest and collective action," Mr Lawrence said. A well-known advocate for the Palestinian people, Mr D'Adam claimed he was stopped from speaking on the topic at last year's state Labor conference. Labor's national party platform calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East, for Palestine to be recognised as a state and for the issue to be an important priority for the Australian government. Federal leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have yet to recognise Palestinian statehood despite moves from similar counties like France, Canada and the United Kingdom to do so.
