STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms MILLER-FROST (Boothby) (13:47): Australians should be able to freely exercise their vote without fear of intimidation or harassment. At the 2025 federal election, this was not the experience of many in Boothby, which was targeted by the Brethren church on behalf of the Liberal Party. Booths had 20 to 30 Brethren handing out for the Liberal Party.

They knew nothing about Boothby because they were largely from interstate. They didn't even know anything about the Liberal Party policies. They were aggressive and intimidating to volunteers and voters alike.

One of my volunteers was penned in by A-frames, guarded by men in Liberal T-shirts who refused to let her out or let her move the signs. A Greens volunteer told me she was physically trapped by tall young men in Liberal T-shirts so that she was unable to be seen or hand leaflets to voters. Apparently they'd been told to 'shut that mouthy woman up'.

Voters who wanted to ask questions of me or other non-Liberal candidates were shouted down and physically blocked from approaching us. Older people tell me they will never vote in person again because it was so intimidating. An 18-year-old girl, in her school uniform, who came to vote for the first time ended up in tears.

And that's just a small sample of the behaviour. This is antidemocratic, and the Liberal Party should be ashamed of enabling this. Australians deserve to know what deal the Liberals made.

What did the Brethren church stand to get from this quid pro quo?