Green MP’s trip ‘risked a Ruby-like virus outbreak’
State Greens MP David Shoebridge has been condemned for visiting a regional indigenous community just two days after attending a mass Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney’s CBD attended by 20,000 protesters defying health advice to march.
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A state Greens MP has been condemned for visiting a regional indigenous community just two days after attending a mass protest in Sydney’s CBD.
David Shoebridge was front and centre at the Black Lives Matter rally on June 6, where 20,000 protesters defied health advice to march in the city.
Just 48 hours later, Mr Shoebridge travelled almost 500km to the Nambucca State Forest to join the local Gumbaynggirr community for an anti-logging rally.
Indigenous community leader Warren Mundine, a Gumbaynggirr man on his mother’s side, condemned the visit, saying Mr Shoebridge put the health of the community at risk.
“He has shown, quite frankly, contempt,” Mr Mundine said. “He, as an elected official, has really let the side down.”
He said an outbreak of COVID-19 in an indigenous community would “make the Ruby Princess look like a Sunday afternoon picnic”.
“We all know from Closing the Gap that Aboriginals live shorter lives and that we have chronic illnesses in our community that are multiple times worse than the wider Australian community,” he said.
Mr Shoebridge said he had “no regrets” about attending the rally.
“Precautions and social distancing were undertaken at the forest gathering and I have no regrets working with the local Aboriginal and the non-indigenous community to save Nambucca State Forest,” he said.
Ahead of the June 6 BLM protest, the Prime Minister urged people to think about the impact an outbreak could have on indigenous Australians.
“One of our greatest fears at the start of this COVID crisis … has been our concern for the potential impact on indigenous communities,” Scott Morrison said.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Labor leader Jodi McKay did not comment on Mr Shoebridge attending both rallies yesterday.
But the Opposition’s Treasury spokesman Walt Secord – who has indigenous Canadian heritage – said Mr Shoebridge’s actions were “utterly irresponsible”.
“Traipsing around an indigenous community and pontificating – without any regard to public safety – is a textbook example of sneering white privilege,” Mr Secord said.
Mr Shoebridge said he tested negative to COVID-19 last week.