Chalmers ‘untroubled’ as protesters sneak into Perth press conference

Two high vis-clad protesters masquerading as journalists gatecrashed Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher’s Perth press conference on Friday.

The women both entered the closed-off facility and peppered Chalmers with questions about his government’s support of gas and Israel at separate points in the press conference with Chalmers even inviting the second protester to ask him a question.

Chalmers was speaking about the US tariffs and critical minerals at an Australian Vanadium facility north of Perth when a woman wearing a high-visibility vest started yelling at him about the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax.

“Hey Jim Chalmers, this government collects more from the HECS student debt than the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax, why is your government supporting Woodside and Burrup project while gas companies are ripping us off?” she yelled.

Chalmers’ security pushed her out of the press conference and the treasurer resumed speaking.

Asked later whether he was concerned at the security breach, Chalmers said he was “completely untroubled by it”.

“I really mean that. You would prefer that press conferences weren’t interrupted, but you also want to live in a country where people have got a view, and they can express a view,” he said.

“I don’t think anybody felt unsafe. I don’t speak for everyone, but I’m pretty relaxed about it.

“On the substance of what she raised. First of all, we’re cutting student debt. Second of all, we’ve reformed the PRRT so that Australians are getting a bigger return on offshore gas.”

Later in the press conference, Chalmers actually invited the second protester to ask a question.

The woman asked: “Considering the US tariffs and that over the last, I think 16 months, we’ve increased our exports and investments into Israel.

“I’m just wondering if the current political climate might see us divesting from genocide and apartheid in the next, you know, foreseeable future, especially considering we are heading towards escalated, global conflict.”

In response, Chalmers said Labor had commented “at some length” about the Gaza conflict, and had made it clear they wanted an enduring ceasefire.

“We want humanitarian access, and we’ve made our position very clear on that,” he said.

“That has not been a central focus of the work that we’ve been doing when it comes to trade closer to home in our region, and these tariff announcements out of the US.”

The protester then started yelling at Chalmers about ethnic cleansing before being removed by security.

The second protester filmed the first heckle with the footage sent to WA media two hours after the press conference by the local climate protest movement.

The first protestor was described as an 18-year-old called Emma.

Heckling at campaign events has become a regular occurrence and resulted in security being beefed up for both Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese.

On Thursday, Albanese was heckled by climate protesters during a visit to Maitland Hospital on the NSW Central Coast.

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