Police investigate Victorian MP over Daniel Andrews ‘red mist’ comments at rally

Police are investigating Victorian upper house MP Catherine Cumming for inciteful behaviour after she told a crowd of protesters that Premier Daniel Andrews should be turned into “red mist”.

Cumming, who is running for the Angry Victorians Party at next week’s state election, made the comments at an anti-lockdown rally outside Flinders Street Station on Saturday.

“I joined the Angry Victorians Party for one reason: to make Daniel Andrews turn into red mist,” she told the jeering crowd.

“In the army we would call it pink mist but I want him into red mist. Give anyone here in the army a job to blow someone up and they will.”

Pink mist is a description used for a sniper’s bullet hitting someone in the head. Cumming was a member of the Army Reserve for 10 years, where she was a medic.

Contacted by The Sunday Age, Cumming said she was not inciting violence because she had made the comments in reference to the Labor “red shirts” scandal, where nearly $400,000 of public funds was misused for political campaigning.

Crossbench MP Catherine Cumming at a rally last year.Credit: Jason South

“I’m pretty sure that the media uses the word ‘explosive’ quite often,” she said.

“My reference to red mist is the red shirts [scandal] ... to blow up corruption. You’re asking me what I meant, and I know what I meant.”

Cumming did not answer when asked if “pink mist” referred to a sniper kill, but insisted she had not been inciting violence.

“I don’t own a gun licence and I haven’t been in the army for a long time,” she said. “Medics are not trained to blow things up.”

Cumming said she could have expressed herself better.

“Yes, I was passionate on the steps of Flinders Street Station and I could have expanded on what I meant in the way of red shirts and making sure this government doesn’t get re-elected,” she said.

“I am sure that my opponents will spin it into something that suits their agenda.

“I’ve seen a lot of woke media complaining. The police were there at the steps of Flinders Street Station – if I did something wrong, I would have been arrested.”

Catherine Cumming in 2012, when she was elected mayor of Maribyrnong. Credit: Martina Gemmola

A former Maribyrnong city councillor, Cumming was elected in the Western Metropolitan Region in 2018 with Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party but became an independent soon after.

A Victoria Police spokesperson issued a statement after the comment was shared on social media.

“Police will investigate following a report of inciteful behaviour during a speech at a rally outside Flinders Street Station on November 19. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

In a statement later issued by the Angry Victorians Party, Cumming said: “I can understand how some may have arrived at this interpretation, but I want to make it explicitly clear that I do not wish or call for any physical harm to come to Daniel Andrews.”

“He and his red-shirts brigade need to be blown up this election – at the ballot box.”

Founder of the Angry Victorians Party, Heston Russell, addressed Cumming’s comments in a video posted to Instagram on Saturday afternoon.

“That’s the issue here in Victoria, that’s why we’re called the Angry Victorians Party – a lot of people are angry, a lot of people are emotive, but we definitely need to bring it down a notch,” he said.

Liberal leader Matthew Guy condemned the remarks in the “strongest possible terms”.

“Statements and language like this have no place in our state, or nation. Dr Cumming should withdraw those remarks immediately and apologise unreservedly,” he said.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.