Protesters ambush Bill Shorten at Labor’s National Conference

Seconds after walking on stage for his speech to Labor’s National Conference, Bill Shorten was suddenly ambushed by protesters.

Bill Shorten’s keynote speech at Labor’s National Conference this morning got off to an awkward start as he was ambushed by protesters.

The audience of 400 delegates and 1000 observers at the Adelaide Convention Centre had been thoroughly warmed up by Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, national president Wayne Swan and South Australian opposition leader Peter Malinauskas when Mr Shorten finally strolled onto the stage.

A protester, 25-year-old Isaac Astill, quickly appeared next to him. As Mr Shorten took his position behind the lecturn, Mr Astill stood beside him and unfurled a banner bearing the words “Stop Adani”.

“Will you please stop the Adani coal mine? There are bushfires across Queensland, heat records are tumbling, the Great Barrier Reef is heading for a third bleaching event, we have to stop the Adani coal mine,” he said.

“Oh mate. Alright,” Mr Shorten said, before letting Mr Astill make his point.

“Thanks for making that statement. Do I get to keep the flag?” he asked.

“You can keep the flag if you like, absolutely, of course,” the protester replied.

“Good on you mate, cheers. See ya,” Mr Shorten said.

.@billshortenmp’s keynote speech to the ALP National Conference is interrupted before its commencement by 'Stop Adani' protestors.

MORE: https://t.co/QHo2hW3tyZ pic.twitter.com/uil0WkOye3

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 15, 2018

But Mr Astill wasn’t done.

“Really appreciate it Mr Shorten. It’s going to be so important you do that. Thank you, catch you later. I really hope you come out with a commitment to stop the mine.”

“No it’s all good. Thank you very much, I appreciate you making your point.”

At that point, Mr Swan intervened, and a security guard removed Mr Astill from the stage.

“I think our visitor should leave the stage now,” Mr Swan said. “Show him the way out, thank you.”

But the fiasco continued, as more protesters appeared at Mr Shorten’s other shoulder.

“OK. Which one’s this?” he quipped.

“We’ll call for the escorts,” Mr Swan interjected.

“We’re Australia’s oldest political party. We have a proud history of democracy, we all understand the right to protest. But that doesn’t include the right to drown out the leader of the opposition. So could you please leave the stage?”

The Adani protesters shadowing Bill Shorten with a sign.

News.com.au spoke to Mr Astill after the incident. He rejected the idea that his protest was disrespectful towards Mr Shorten.

“I thought it was a funny thing to say that the Labor Party supports the right to protest, but doesn’t support the right to interrupt the leader of the opposition,” he said.

“If they support the right to protest, they should support my protest.

“What’s disrespectful is the Labor Party standing idly by while bushfires sweep across Queensland. While heat records tumble. While the Great Barrier Reef heads for its third bleaching event.

“Civility isn’t working. The major parties aren’t working. We do need to escalate. We need to make them realise we won’t back down.”

Mr Astill was complimentary of the way Mr Shorten handled the encounter — with one major caveat.

“I appreciate his respectful response, but we’ll appreciate it a whole lot more when he finally shows some leadership and comes out against the Adani coal mine,” he said.

Isaac Astill and Bill Shorten on stage.

When he finally got some clear air, Mr Shorten addressed the crowd.

“I know these people are well-intentioned, but the only people they’re helping is the current government of Australia,” he said.

“I’ve waited for the next election for five years and if I’ve got to wait a couple more minutes, I just will.

“People have got a right to protest, but you’ve got to ask yourself when you see these protests — who’s the winner? It’s the Coalition.

“We’ve already had two protests and goodness knows what the current Prime Minister will do to try to upstage them.”

In a statement, the Stop Adani protesters revealed why they had interrupted the Labor leader.

“80 per cent of Labor supporters believe new coal mines are no longer in the national interest. Yet Bill Shorten and the Labor Party still support Adani’s mine, opening up one of the largest untapped coal reserves on Earth,” Mr Astill said.

“Bill Shorten wants to be our next prime minister. Australians are looking for political leaders who will stand up to the mining billionaires who are keeping our economy in the dark ages and putting our future at risk.”

Another of the protesters, 49-year-old Donna Smit, said she disrupted Mr Shorten because “he refuses to pay attention to our climate emergency”.

“Coal is fuelling climate change, resulting in deadly heatwaves, bushfires, droughts and storms. We need Labor to take the lead on climate change by committing to stop Adani’s coal mine now,” Ms Smit said.

“Adani are determined to dig their coal mine but we’re more determined to stop it, before the federal election. Thousands of passionate people will be at every community event and press conference, making this the climate election that finally stops Adani’s disastrous mine.”

Mr Shorten is becoming well practised at handling interruptions.

Yesterday, while he toured Adelaide Central Market and spoke to the media, he was confronted by more Adani protesters who heckled him and urged him to “take action on climate change”.

Bill Shorten speaking to the media yesterday, framed by protesters’ signs. Picture: AAP

After the protesters left the stage this morning, Mr Shorten used his speech to make a couple of significant policy announcements.

He confirmed Labor’s plan to build 250,000 new homes across the country over the next decade in an effort to help Australians struggling with high rent.

Investors who build these new homes will receive 15-year subsidies, totalling $8500 per year, provided they meet one condition — leasing the properties for 20 per cent below market rent.

“A hidden struggle in this country is being fought by the hundreds of thousands of our fellow Australians who can’t afford to live anywhere near where they work,” Mr Shorten said.

“They’re spending over a third of their pay packet on rent, and plenty more on petrol each day they travel.

“Building more affordable housing is infrastructure policy. It is cities policy. It is jobs and productivity policy. And it is population policy.”

RELATED: Reaction to Labor’s new housing policy

Mr Shorten also announced he would add a right to superannuation in the National Employment Standards, in what is essentially a crackdown on employers who don’t pay their workers enough super.

“The retirement savings of Australian workers are a workplace right. They deserve the same strong protections as any other workplace right.”

The policy will empower employees to recoup unpaid super through the Fair Work Commission or the Federal Court.