Labor and The Greens’ decision to support the ‘in-principle’ approval of professional protest group, Rising Tide’s People’s Blockade, is devoid of reality and will result in the closure of the Newcastle Harbour shipping channel, and hundreds of arrests.

At Tuesday night’s extraordinary meeting of Council, Labor and The Greens bound together to support the approval, having seemingly forgot the broken promises and 170 plus arrests that occurred last year.

Hunter based Nationals Senator, Ross Cadell, said the decision flew in the face of public safety, and that the City had signed itself up to the same chaos that erupted last year.

“It is clear that Labor and The Greens are slow learners,” Cadell said.

“Last year, Rising Tide provided the Lord Mayor an assurance they wouldn’t enter the shipping channel. Not only did they break that commitment, but 173 of them were arrested.

“Labor was quick to criticise Lord Mayor Kerridge last year for approving this event, yet 12-months on is itself falling into the trap of Rising Tide.

“Lord Mayor Kerridge appears to have learnt Rising Tide can’t be trusted, but Labor and The Greens either aren’t reading the room or are only interested in discrediting the Lord Mayor.

“It is a sad day when elected Councillors are seeking cheap political wins before public safety and common sense. It might be time for Labor and The Greens to enrol themselves in a special education class for political reality.

“Cr Peter Gittins said if Rising Tide goes against its word, he would see it as a “fundamental breach of integrity”. These professional protesters wouldn’t know integrity if it slapped them in the face.

“When hundreds of people are arrested for blocking the shipping channel later this year, the responsibility for such actions will lie solely at the feet of Newcastle’s Labor and The Greens’ Councillors who supported this application.”