Greens leader Adam Bandt has threatened Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus with legal action over remarks he made that Mr Bandt says were defamatory.
The federal government and opposition joined together in the House of Representatives on Wednesday to condemn the Greens and its response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The major parties took aim at the Greens for "consciously and deliberately spreading" misinformation, and claiming the Greens had incited pro-Palestinian protesters into demonstrations that had led to politicians' electorate offices being targeted.
Shortly after, Mr Dreyfus spoke on the ABC's Afternoon Briefing where he directed his anger about the issue towards the Greens leader.
"I think that the Greens political party and particularly the leader of the Greens political party have got something to answer for here in the way that they have been encouraging criminal damage of MPs electorate offices, encouraging really riotous behaviour, sometimes violent behaviour, that has been occurring outside electorate offices," Mr Dreyfus said on the program.
Mr Bandt says his lawyers have written to the attorney-general to say he considers the comments he made on the program defamatory.
"I think that the first law officer of this country should not make utterly unfounded statements and spread disinformation. No politician should do that," Mr Bandt said in a statement.
"I understand a number of media outlets have chosen to stop broadcasting and publishing his statements because of legal concerns. I welcome their restraint."
Mr Dreyfus's comments were made outside the lower house chamber, and were not covered by parliamentary privilege.
Mr Bandt said he would "prefer not to" pursue the matter legally, and hoped Mr Dreyfus would respond in a proper way.
"The prime minister and Labor are not the victims in these matters. The victims are the over 36,000 people killed in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the hostages, and the 1,200 people killed on October 7, compounded by the failure of the Labor government to take action against the Israeli government's invasion," Mr Bandt added.
Bandt says Greens MPs weren't involved in hostile demonstrations
At a press conference, Mr Bandt initially said he would not take questions on his statement, before quickly accepting several challenges from journalists.
He denied his MPs had any involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations that had turned hostile.
"We have been crystal clear ... that as a party of peace and non-violence protests must be peaceful with respect to people and property," Mr Bandt said.
"Greens MPs were not involved in [hostile protests]."
Labor has pointed to videos of Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi encouraging a sit-in outside of Mr Albanese's electorate office as an example of Greens politicians "encouraging the crowd to continue to blockade" politicians' workplaces.
In a February post on social media, Senator Faruqi wrote for supporters to join a "permanent" sit-in at Mr Albanese's office.
Government sources have told the ABC that the prime minister's staff have not been able to access the electorate office since January.
Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek, whose electorate neighbours Mr Albanese's, said the demonstrations had been intimidating.
"We've [seen] Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi standing outside Labor MPs' offices encouraging the crowd to continue to blockade," she said. "We've seen young Greens posting videos of the defacing of Peter Khalil's billboard with 'victory till revolution' and 'death to the ALP'," Ms Plibersek told Sky News.
"All of these things that are intimidating our constituents. Staff have been injured at these blockades and they're just doing their jobs. Our staff are just doing their jobs.
"[And] the moment they get called out for their campaign of misinformation and disinformation and division, they go to water."
Speaking to the ABC's Afternoon Briefing from Solomon Islands, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Mr Bandt should reflect on the actions of some in his party before moving to sue.
"Perhaps before Adam Bandt turns to litigation he should perhaps reflect upon some of the comments and accusations and language that his MPs have used. He should reflect upon that," Senator Wong said.
"We all have responsibilities, don't we ... and part of our responsibility is to ensure that whilst we can respect each other's differences, that we demonstrate in how we act and how we speak it is not something this country does [where] we diminish another person, and condemn another person or abuse another person because they disagree with us."
Speaking on 2GB radio in Sydney, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said families should "have a conversation with their kids, their grandkids, with their next-door neighbours, just about how evil the current Greens party is", adding Mr Bandt was "unfit to be in public office".
Mr Bandt responded that he would not be lectured to by a prime minister and opposition leader who have supported the ongoing invasion of Gaza by Israel — a claim the government rejects.
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2024-06-05 23:45:21Z
CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDI0LTA2LTA2L2FkYW0tYmFuZHQtbGVnYWwtYWN0aW9uLWF0dG9ybmV5LWdlbmVyYWwtZHJleWZ1cy8xMDM5NDI3NTjSAQA
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