Page:Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) (2024, FCA).pdf/48

to finish up early, and they liaised with me because I had – I knew the police officer in charge, Lisa, from March for the Babies, so she just reached out to me because she knew me, and she knew that I was reasonable, and I lobbied for the police to get them to finish early because they were hurting the horses and it was going insane. And I said, "I'll do my best," you know, "I'm not in charge of it, but I'll ask her."

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MD – and I do understand that everything has come in a row. My maiden speech, International Women's Day, and this, it is so unfortunate that they came in a row, but I made sure I didn't say that I spoke on behalf of the Liberal Party. A Muslim woman asked me to give her message. I don't know what those Nazi group are about, but I, you know – everybody knows, the police know, the Australian Jewish Association know, all the Standing for Women group know, everyone has condemned them. Everyone has said they weren't invited …

JP As I said earlier, I'm not concerned about the substantive issue you feel strongly about, this is not about that. This is about Nazi links and perceived –

MD – Are you accusing me of actual Nazi links?

JP No, to the protest. To the protest –

MD – How –

JP – and the people you were working with.

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Can you assure us that nobody you've worked with has any sympathies or, you know, liaisons with Nazis groups?

MD Absolutely none that I could possibly know about.

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Because I had no ability to know that actual Nazis are going to turn up. No ability to know that.

JP But how do you know that people working around you, people you might be associating with, who you're working with, don't have Nazi sympathies or –

MD I mean they're from the left. And they're Jews, and they're lesbians and their atheists and their radical feminists. That's – and they've never said anything, anything that could possibly give me that impression.

JP I mean, this does affect the whole team, and I'm not going to sugarcoat there is a mounting concern about whether your passion for this issue, which I do not doubt and I do not ask you to relinquish. I'm not saying you should not be passionate about this issue. I need to make that clear, but there is mounting concern, which I principally share as the leader, that this is not going to stop, and this is the second –

MD So, can I ask a clarification question?

JP Yep.

MD So, if it's not about that issue and it's about the Nazi issue, haven't I just – like there's no evidence against me. They just turned up, there is footage to show that we didn't even like look at them.

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