Gabrielle de Vietri is a member of the Victorian Parliament. In my view, it’s time she acted like it.
A few weeks ago, a number of vocal protesters voicing opposition to the Victorian government’s relationship with Israel and business arrangements between the two jurisdictions, were evicted from the public gallery in Victoria’s Legislative Assembly.
Ms de Vietri took to social media and, in a now deleted post, suggested that this removal of unruly parliamentary spectators was an unacceptable silencing of dissent.
In the next full sitting week, Ms de Vietri and her Greens Party colleagues wore traditional Palestinian keffiyehs into Parliament. The presiding officer duly banned the garment as it did not adhere to the standing orders relating to clothing or dress that made a political statement.
Both disciplinary actions were condemned by the Greens Party, and on the surface, both may appear petty. However, both also represent the proper and practical application of parliamentary norms designed to ensure the effective conduct of parliamentary business.
In the first instance, parliamentarians have to realise that they are no longer activists. In Ms Vietri’s case, she is free, under the standing orders of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, to voice her dissent at the Victorian government’s support for the State of Israel in a number of ways. She could deliver a Members’ Statement on the issue during the time early in each sitting day devoted to giving MPs the ability to make a short speech on any topic. She could ask the government questions in a number of different ways.
Ms de Vietri’s ability to voice her dissent is actually much more significant than the average Victorian, because she was duly and fairly elected by the constituents of Richmond.
On the keffiyeh, this also makes sense. One of the immutable rules of the Westminster Parliamentary tradition that has served us so well is every member of parliament taking their turn to talk. Making a political statement through dress is an attempt to make your point when another parliamentarian has the call. Again, all the Greens Party MPs have the ability to speak in Parliament, and a greater ability than most people to speak to the media or conduct public rallies.
It’s hard to stomach parliamentarians complaining about their freedom of speech being infringed, but this is becoming more commonplace among the fringes of our political spectrum. And it’s almost always done for political gain.
There has also been an attack on the civility insisted upon by our institutions, particularly among the left fringe.
Our Westminster traditions have served us well, allowing people of all political persuasions but called to serve in good faith to work towards the commonwealth. At a time when our institutions are being attacked from all directions for political gain, it is well past time we restated our commitment to these institutions. And time for those who have been given the honour to serve and to represent us in parliaments to repay that privilege.
