A Labor politician who criticised the actions of New South Wales police officers towards pro-Palestinian protesters has been sacked from his role as parliamentary secretary by the premier, Chris Minns.
Minns took aim at the comments made by the upper house MP Anthony D’Adam, saying that D’Adam had never raised his concerns about the police commissioner, Karen Webb, and officers before making his speech in parliament on Wednesday night.
The parliamentary secretary for youth justice, D’Adam, told the parliament that police had used “fear and intimidation” on three protesters who were arrested at a ‘die-in’ event in March in the Sydney CBD.
“In this case, the police failed to distinguish between real violence and pretend violence, between real harm and actions that are harmless,” he said.
D’Adam attended the March event.
“We will not be intimidated, especially when we are trying to stop a genocide,” he told the house.
“Any time police officers resort to the use of force against non-violent protesters, they violate these principles and undermine the consent and respect necessary for the police to do their job.”
He also said police officers’ actions had made “a liar of the commissioner” who had defended the way her officers had behaved.
Minns told the parliament on Thursday that being a police officer was “far harder than issuing a speech in the middle of the night in a legislative council” and “completely disassociated” himself from the speech.
“Those comments were absolutely reprehensible,” he said.
He then asked D’Adam to withdraw his comments before sacking him from the secretary role.
“Mr D’Adam did not raise his criticisms about NSW police with me, the police minister or with NSW Police. The first we heard about it was his speech in parliament,” Minns said.
“I have formed the view that his actions and criticisms of the NSW police, without at any time speaking with colleagues to convey his concerns in relation to this matter, are incompatible with his position as parliamentary secretary.”
D’Adam said he was “concerned about an increasing trend in NSW and across Australia of curtailing basic civil liberties” including the right to free speech and peaceful protest.
“My comments in the house were primarily in response to a specific incident at which I was present,” he said.
“I maintain that the police response in this particular situation was an unnecessarily aggressive response to a peaceful and disciplined protest.”
He said he was disappointed but held “no malice” towards the premier.
