Federal Labor politicians Malarndirri McCarthy and Warren Snowdon tested for COVID-19 after attending Black Lives Matter protests

FEDERAL Labor politicians Malarndirri McCarthy and Warren Snowdon will be tested for coronavirus after attending Black Lives Matter protests

Federal Labor politicians Malarndirri McCarthy and Warren Snowdon will be tested for coronavirus after attending Black Lives Matter protests

FEDERAL Labor politicians Malarndirri McCarthy and Warren Snowdon will be tested for coronavirus after attending Black Lives Matter protests.

Senator McCarthy was due to conduct a television interview with Sky News on Wednesday morning but withdrew after Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese’s office confirmed she was being tested for COVID-19.

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They said the test was being taken out of an “abundance of caution” as politicians returned to Canberra for parliamentary sittings.

About 300 people attended the rally on Friday evening — fewer than the 500-person limit on outdoor gatherings.

It was later confirmed Mr Snowdon — the Member for Lingiari — will also be tested after attending a rally in Alice Springs last Saturday.

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Two other Labor MPs — Graham Perrett and Annika Wells — will also be tested after attending a rally in Queensland, but Greens Senator Janet Rice has refused to be tested after attending a Melbourne rally.

It comes as debate rages over another rally planned for Darwin this Saturday.

The Government has refused to condemn the event despite more than 1400 people indicating they plan to attend — a number well above the 500-person limit.

“I think people organising those events do need to be conscious of the guidelines around public events,” Health Minister Natasha Fyles said.

“But what I’m saying is their voice is important and their voice matters.”

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said it was “oxymoronic” a Black Lives Matter protest was being held in the Northern Territory when Aboriginal people were the ones most likely to suffer if there was a coronavirus outbreak.

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“If Black Lives Matter then they definitely matter in the remote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory and Queensland and Western Australia and if, by reason of one of these protests where obviously a lot of people who are closely associated with the indigenous community, if that disease gets back there by reason of these protests then it makes it totally oxymoronic in the statement that Black Lives Matter,” he said.