March 4 Justice protest organiser rejects Scott Morrison, Marise Payne offer to meet in Parliament House

After initially accepting an invitation to meet the PM, protest organiser Janine Hendry now says she will not meet ‘behind closed doors’.

Prime Minster Scott Morrison had offered to meet with the organiser of a women’s rights protest on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The March 4 Justice organiser has announced the group will not meet privately with Scott Morrison today after the Prime Minister invited them to meet him inside Parliament House.

More than 75,000 women and men are expected to rally across Australia today in protests that follow former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations at Parliament House and historical accusations against Attorney-General Christian Porter.

Organiser Janine Hendry said while Mr Morrison had declined an opportunity to attend the rally, he had offered to meet with the women in his office after the rally, an offer she had initially accepted.

However, in an explosive Twitter post on Monday morning, Ms Hendy said she would not be attending the meeting.

We have already come to the front door, now it’s up to the Government to cross the threshold and come to us. We will not be meeting behind closed doors.

— 💧Janine Hendry (@janine_hendry) March 14, 2021

“We have already come to the front door, now it’s up to the Government to cross the threshold and come to us,” she wrote.

“We will not be meeting behind closed doors.”

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese will be attending the march alongside a group of Labor MPs, and accused the government of “snubbing” a grassroots movement.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack have said they will not be attending the rally or meeting with marchers

Scott Morrison and Marise Payne had offered to meet personally with Ms Hendry and a “couple of guests of her choosing” inside Parliament House at 3.30pm on Monday to discuss the March4justice movement — an offer she had accepted.

“The Prime Minister’s office reached out to me asking if I would like to meet (Mr Morrison) and we have confirmed a meeting for tomorrow afternoon,” Ms Hendry said on Sunday. “I think this is a great moment in history for Australia and women and I feel really excited he has reached out his hand to me. I look forward to relaying the voices of the women of Australia to him.”

@janine_hendry Janine starts her morning on the ABC. Catch her live in five. #March4Justice#EnoughIsEnoughpic.twitter.com/BQ0hsTcUpS

— @March4JusticeAU (@march4justiceau) March 14, 2021

Mr Morrison issued an open invitation to the “delegation” of protesters earlier on Sunday to meet with him but said he would not attend the rally in Canberra.

“I haven’t had a habit of going out to do any marches when they have come to Canberra ... but I’m very happy to receive a delegation,” he said.

Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek and Greens co-deputy leader Larissa Waters both agreed to meet Ms Hendry at the midday Canberra rally — which is expected to attract up to 5000 — to accept a petition signed by nearly 70,000 people, Ms Hendry said.

The petition has called for four immediate actions to be taken to protect women from sexual harassment and assault in their workplaces. “Full independent investigations into all cases of gendered violence and timely referrals to appropriate authorities” tops the list of required actions.

The “catalyst” for the protests, which were organised in two weeks, was a historic rape alle­gation made against Attorney-General Christian Porter.

Cant wait to celebrate the inclusive events that we’ve created with all of you #Match4Justice#EnoughisEnough ⁦@march4justiceau⁩ pic.twitter.com/b27QPI2ruM

— 💧Janine Hendry (@janine_hendry) March 13, 2021

Foreign Affairs and Women Minister Marise Payne. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

Discussions about workplace culture at Parliament House also triggered the movement after former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins accused a colleague of raping her in Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’s office in 2019.

More than 40 rallies have been planned on Monday in all major cities and regional areas to “call for an end to gendered violence”.

The biggest events will take place in Melbourne, where a combined 10,700 people indicated their intent or interest to participate while up to 6100 said they would attend in Sydney.

A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said it would have a “highly visible presence” at Treasury Gardens, outside Victoria’s Parliament House, at the protest.

Key organiser of Sydney’s March4justice event Jaime Evans said NSW police had been “really helpful — They have helped us to make sure that we are doing everything safely, and keeping the community safe.”

A NSW police spokeswoman said the Sydney protest had been granted approval for 500, with NSW Health “considering a public health order exemption to increase numbers”.

Across the country, high-profile names expected to speak at the rallies include Australian of the Year Grace Tame in Hobart, TV host Julia Zemiro in Canberra and former Liberal MP Julia Banks in Melbourne.

Additional reporting: Greg Brown