One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has called the protesters who gatecrashed Woodside Energy’s annual general meeting on Thursday “entitled, green, bile-filled activists” who wanted to “destroy Australia”.
The protesters were seeking to challenge the energy company’s plans to drill for gas near Scott Reef.
As CEO Liz Westcott began her speech, a group of Greenpeace activists began making whale noises and chanted “Save Scott Reef”.
One of the activists even stormed the stage and grabbed a microphone to amplify their message.
Before security guards hauled the activist off the stage, he repeatedly shouted “how dare you”.
Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, Mr Joyce turned the protester’s outburst back on him, and other opponents of gas investment in Australia.
“How dare you? Well, how dare they, how dare they stand behind policies which have got rid of our power stations, given us some of the dearest electricity in the world,” he said.
“How dare they come up with policies such as the safeguard mechanism, which is one of the reasons we have driven our oil refineries out of business, making us so vulnerable.
“How dare they force up the cost of living to make life almost impossible for people who are poor?
“How dare they (oppose) Australia’s attempt to try and make (itself) protected against the vagaries of what we’re seeing in the world today?
“And how dare they turn up to a public meeting… if they want to protest, protest outside. See this, they’re so entitled, these people, they are so entitled. They’re not enlightened.”
Mr Joyce said the protesters were “entitled, green, bile-filled activists” who wanted to “destroy Australia” and would not be happy until the country was “on our knees”.
The One Nation MP, who last week called for the climate change department to be scrapped, said the activists were “over climate policy” and were now hellbent on economically crippling Australia.
“How dare he, by the way, advocate for my hills to be covered in wind towers, covered in solar panels? How dare he advocate for transmission lines to run backwards and forth, destroying the values of land?” he said.
“Actually, how dare he do anything? How about I dare him to hand me some of his money?”
The event took place on Thursday at Crown Perth, where protesters smuggled in signs which read “Hands off Scott Reef” and Bluetooth speakers which played whale noises.
Outside the event, activists, members of the public and politicians gathered to demand Woodside’s $30 billion Browse gas export proposal, located off Western Australia’s coastline, be rejected.
Protesters said support for a 25 per cent tax on future gas projects in Australia was growing.
In a statement, Woodside said “extreme protests” were a “distraction” from the global challenge of decarbonisation.
“Woodside fully supports respectful debate, including in relation to complex challenges like climate change,” a Woodside spokesperson said.