Speaking at a Sunday rally in Sydney, ex-Prime Minister John Howard called on the Australian administration to scrap its plans to offload defense land situated in key areas.
The protest drew a crowd of a few thousand people near Victoria Barracks. Demonstrators directed angry calls toward Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, demanding his resignation over the asset disposal strategy.
Sydney Housing Pressures Meet Defense Land Sales
Decades of local opposition to higher-density developments has left Sydney with one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. Most mainstream political parties have responded by declaring themselves YIMBY, or “yes in my back yard.” The federal defense land selloff stands as an exception to this shift, uniting disparate political groups across the spectrum.
To generate 3 billion Australian dollars in gross funds—or 1.8 billion net—the Albanese administration defended its choice to divest Department of Defense properties nationwide, which includes sought-after harbor-front locations in Sydney. Regarding the upkeep of these locations, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles contended that the defense department is poorly positioned to maintain their historical value, and that those funds would serve future combat capabilities better elsewhere.
Multipartisan Resistance at Victoria Barracks
The selloff proposal has met fierce resistance from the conservative Liberal-National Coalition, the right-wing nationalist One Nation party, the left-wing Greens, and members of Albanese’s own party in the New South Wales state government. Howard told the crowd that governments spending less and taxing less was not the core issue at stake.
“What is more important to the soul of a nation? [Than] its history, its heritage, and those that have gone before,” Howard said. “You don’t give that up for a few bob.” Howard also recalled seeing Australian cricket legend Don Bradman bat at the nearby Sydney Cricket Ground, according to historical transcripts.
Expressing delight at seeing Australians gathered to honor the nation’s history and heritage while pointing out the display of Australian flags, Tony Abbott—former Prime Minister and current Liberal Party president tasked with pushing back against One Nation’s growth—addressed the crowd.
Protest Friction and Political Alignments
Tensions surfaced when Marjorie O’Neill, Labor’s NSW parliamentary secretary for transport and one of the protest organizers, was jeered by the One Nation-heavy crowd. The audience booed her twice: first when she opened the gathering by acknowledging Australia’s First Nations people and referencing the 150 Aboriginal men who enlisted in the defense forces at Victoria Barracks, and again when she failed to mention One Nation while acknowledging the diverse coalition opposing the sale.
Liberal senator Jess Collins, a co-organizer of the rally, acknowledged the presence of One Nation members to loud cheers. Justin Bowra, a member of the Greens and a local resident, told POLITICO that political colors did not matter because everyone agreed that selling off the land to the highest bidder for private development was the wrong move.
Canberra Convoy Plans and Unresolved Stances
Independent MP Allegra Spender urged the crowd to join a convoy to Canberra scheduled for Nov. 23 to protest the sale. Meanwhile, One Nation members approached ahead of the rally declined to comment, citing party rules that forbid speaking to the media.
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