‘Bird-dogging’: Why the federal election will see a spike in confronting protests

Climate activists are planning to disrupt politicians’ election campaign appearances by reviving a tactic called “bird-dogging” that has already interfered with media appearances from Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor this week alone.

Campaigners from the Rising Tide group interrupted the speeches to harangue the major parties for their support for fossil fuels.

Bird-dogging originally referred to dogs that follow their owners when they go shooting and retrieve birds. It is now used to describe activists who force politicians to respond publicly on issues that they try to avoid. Dozens of progressive US campaign groups have published instructions for bird-dogging on their websites.

Rising Tide’s Zac Schofield said the group would take “every opportunity that arises” to bird-dog politicians. “We’re protesting both major parties because both major parties have serious policy failures on energy and the climate,” he added.

But the tactic has raised security concerns after protesters, dressed as professionals to blend in with journalists and technical staff, went on stage to disrupt a speech by Chalmers at the Queensland Media Club on Tuesday and shouted from the audience during a talk by Dutton at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Thursday.

Taylor said protesters like the one who crashed his press conference were “bad for the democratic process”.

“Press conferences are an important part of our democratic process, it’s how journalists get to ask me and other politicians questions and hold us to our account,” Taylor told Queensland radio station 4BC. “But there are radical activists like this bloke who just don’t believe in that process and that’s bad for Australia.”

Chalmers downplayed the concerns, saying he would rather the protesters got their point across in a different way.

“I was surprised to see old mate with me up on the stage, if I’m honest, but I thought he was there to fix the microphone. I quite like living in a country where people have opportunities to express their view,” Chalmers said on Thursday.

Many MPs contacted by this masthead did not respond to requests for comment, reflecting their fear of being targeted and a desire not to be seen as opposing citizens’ right to speak.

However, Resources Minister Madeleine King is on the front line of protest against fossil fuels.

Protesters’ actions have become increasingly intimidating in recent years, she said, adding that “ultimately hurts democracy”.

“I never thought I would see the day the resources minister of Australia would need [police] protection to speak at a resources conference in a country that depends on resources for its prolonged prosperity,” King said.

Independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall said she only supported peaceful and respectful forms of protest.

“When you’re in the public service as a member of parliament, safety is paramount and there shouldn’t be any concerns around MPs,” she said.

“Politicians gaslight on … saying they care about an issue, but their actions aren’t consistent with that - so accountability matters.

“At the end of the day, politics is about responding to community concerns and a politician that’s not capable of doing that on the spot is in the wrong job.”

Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said that while protests are an important part of democracy, some groups want to shut down different opinions.

“They’re gaming the system in order to disrupt and stop conversations and debate,” McKenzie said. “I don’t think it is any different for men or women but the image of Julia Gillard being bundled shoeless into a car by her security detail was not good.”

Then-prime minister Julia Gillard (bottom left, in white) is bundled into a car after she was confronted by hundreds of protesters from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Former South Australian Liberal MP Nicole Flint, who is running again this year, has previously labelled a bird-dogging campaign against her by the left-wing group GetUp! during the 2019 election sexist and dangerous.

The Australian Federal Police are increasing their security detail for public appearances by Labor MPs who work in portfolios related to climate change and energy as security agencies warn of threats to politicians’ safety.

The government has set a legally binding target to cut emissions 43 per cent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. The opposition has also committed to reach net zero, but has said it will not detail its near-term goals until it forms government.

Schofield defended the right to peaceful protest.

“Rising Tide only acts peacefully and non-violently, and at the end of the day, we live in a democracy, and I think that citizens do have a right to engage in peaceful protest even if it does make publicly elected officials uncomfortable because they don’t want to answer the questions that we’re asking.”

Rising Tide is a volunteer group which is not affiliated with any other organisations but shares a name with similar movements around the world. It is funded by donations but Schofield declined to detail how much money they might spend campaigning in the election.

Tim Beshara, a policy and strategy manager for the Wilderness Society, said bird-dogging is a legitimate tactic when politicians fail to listen to the public’s concerns.

“It’s a symptom of the community not having a fair say. An effective politician who is proud of their record and confident of the public’s support would seize upon an opportunity like someone turning up to a press conference with a koala suit. It would give them a colourful platform to tell their story.”

Veteran anti-nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney, awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for helping to establish the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, said the upcoming federal election would see an explosion of bird-dogging tactics, particularly for the Coalition, in part because of its nuclear plan.

This masthead reported on Friday that the Liberal Party has not used the word “nuclear” in any of its 24 paid ads running on Meta’s social media sites, prompting accusations it was hiding its policy.

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