Vegan activists to be jailed for ‘attack maps’

Scott Morrison lets loose on the Opposition in Question Time as Labor leader Anthony Albanese vows to back new laws against vegan terrorists to protect Aussie farmers.

• Revealed: Why vigilantes are attacking NSW farmers
• Vegans arrested at NSW abattoir as protests disrupt cities

Scott Morrison has unleashed in Question Time, claiming Labor “stinks of corruption” and could establish a branch in the Silverwater prison.

The Prime Minister also targeted Opposition leader Anthony Albanese with personal barbs in Parliament after being called on to sack one of his ministers.

Shouting across the chamber, Mr Morrison said he would not be lectured on integrity by a man who used to work in the NSW Labor head office.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has let loose during Question Time. Picture: AAP

The branch is currently at the centre of a corruption watchdog probe that includes allegations about a $100,000 political donation handed to the party in an Aldi plastic bag.

“He had a desk in the office, Mr Speaker, in the Sussex Street headquarters of a party that stinks with corruption, where they get money in plastic bags and count it out on the table,” Mr Morrison said.

“With the number of Labor Party members from the New South Wales division who used to serve in Senator Kristina Keneally’s former government that are in jail, you could establish a branch at the Silverwater prison,” he said.

He named Eddie Obeid, a NSW former politician who was jailed over misconduct in public office.

Animal rights groups created an interactive satellite map showing the exact location and addresses of farms.

The extraordinary attack was prompted by Mr Albanese’s call for Mr Morrison to sack Energy Minister Angus Taylor over a meeting he sought with the Environment Department about an issue that involved a business he holds a stake in.

Mr Taylor has repeatedly rejected any accusations of wrongdoing over the meeting, which was about a critically endangered grassland species.

The department had at the time brought an action against the company over 30 hectares of land being cleared which contained the engangered grass species.

Earlier, Anthony Albanese warned that vegan terrorists won’t get any support from Labor. It comes as Labour prepares to waive through new laws that could see activists jailed for posting farmer ‘attack maps’ online.

The Opposition Leader sent a clear message to his colleagues today about the laws after one MP questioned whether the party should be “capitulating” on so many of the government’s proposals.

“Trade unionists are part of our constituency, vegan terrorists are not,” Mr Albanese told a party room meeting at Parliament House today.

“We are not the Liberal Party and we are not the Green Party,” he said.

Under the proposed laws, set to sail through with Labor’s backing, vigilante activists could face up to 12 months in jail for posting farmers’ names, addresses or workplaces online.

It comes after a string of farm invasions earlier this year.

The law comes after a string of farm invasions earlier this year. Picture: Facebook

It’s understood that while Labor MPs overwhelmingly backed proposed laws to crackdown on vegan activists today, one MP raised concerns about whether Labor should be “capitulating” so readily.

Another MP questioned whether Labor should show its hand by publicly announcing it would back the laws if the party’s proposed amendments failed.

Anthony Albanese has faced criticism that he is capitulating to the Government. Picture: Lukas Coch

Frontbencher Penny Wong shot the concern down by saying it was a “Green’s tactic” to accuse Labor of capitulating on government legislation, while fellow frontbencher Catherine King told colleagues one of her constituents, an egg farmer, had her children’s child care details posted online by activists.

Mr Albanese reassured Labor MPs the party wasn’t bending on every issue.

Penny Wong dismissed the criticism as a “Green’s tactic.” Picture: Sean Davey

“We are out campaigning on Newstart, we are arguing the case about why drug testing people on welfare is a bad approach, we are campaigning strongly for the Voice to Parliament,” he said.

He also said the party had “voted the right way” when it backed Scott Morrison’s $158 billion tax cuts in July.

“On tax cuts, there is nothing Labor about voting against putting more money in the pockets of cleaners. We voted the right way.”

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and Attorney-General Christian Porter announced the new laws in August on the same day vegan activists caused traffic chaos and chained themselves to machinery inside abattoirs as part of a national protest organised by the Aussie Farms group.

Originally published as Vegan activists to be jailed for ‘attack maps’