Anthony Albanese has led parliamentary condemnation of pro-Palestinian protests outside electorate offices, accusing the Greens of inflaming tensions about the conflict in the Middle East
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The prime minister's electorate office is one of several that have been blockaded by protesters in recent months, while the fronts of others have been vandalised.
Mr Albanese said such behaviour was undermining the protest's cause, speaking out about electorate staff who had been harassed.
"Our staff work to provide assistance too people dealing with Medicare, social security, migration and other issues. They deserve respect, not abuse, not assault, not attacks on the office that cost taxpayers money," he told parliament on Wednesday.
"Enough is enough. The time for senators and members of parliament to continue to inflame tension outside of these offices must end.
"The fact is that denying the people to seek out assistance achieves nothing and tragically undermines the cause of protesters purport to advance."
The prime minister accused the Greens of deliberately stoking tensions following the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, which killed 1200 people and resulted in 200 people being taken hostage.
Israel's counter-offensive has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians and injured more than 80,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry.
"It is unacceptable that misinformation has been consciously and deliberately spread by some Green senators and MPs who have engaged in this demonstration outside offices and online," Mr Albanese said.
"As political leaders, we have a responsibility to lower temperature, not to fuel division."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also spoke out against the actions of the protesters.
"It is completely and utterly unacceptable and to be condemned," he said.
"The offices of elected members of parliament have been targeted with red paint, with vile messages or hate and discrimination and anti-Semitism and it should be condemned.
"The Greens should condemn it instead of condoning it."
Responding to the comments in parliament, Greens leader Adam Bandt said the party condemned anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, but said the allegations put forward by the prime minister and opposition leader were spurious.
"In a desperate attempt to distract from Labor's backing of the invasion, the prime minister made a number of representations about myself and Greens MPs in this parliament that needs to be corrected," he said.
"I will not be lectured to about peace and non-violence by people who back the invasion of Gaza.
"Children are dying because the Israeli army has engineered a famine, and instead of talking about the victims, the prime minister wants to make it about himself."
Australian Associated Press
