Gabrielle de Vietri has spent the past two years inside the political machine, and what she has witnessed has left her deeply disillusioned. In an exclusive sit-down interview, the Victorian Greens MP delivers a scathing critique of Labor’s transformation, the federal election’s empty political theatre, and the alarming crackdown on protest rights in Victoria.
De Vietri does not mince words when it comes to the state of Australian politics. “Having been in parliament now for two years, I am disgusted and disappointed by a political system that breeds cheap engagement for continued power,” she says.
“Both major parties—Liberals and Labor—are shameless in the way they make policies and decisions just to enable their own pursuit of power at any cost.”
Her observations cut to the heart of the growing public disillusionment with mainstream politics. Once seen as the champion of workers’ rights and progressive policies, the Australian Labor Party is, in her view, unrecognisable.
“Labor is not the party of Gough Whitlam anymore,” she asserts. “They’re tearing down public housing, selling off public land to private developers, attacking workers’ compensation, and prioritising corporate donors over their own members. They have completely lost their way.”
But perhaps most troubling, de Vietri warns, is the Andrews Government’s intensifying crackdown on the right to protest—an issue that should alarm every Australian who values democracy.
The Victorian Government’s War on Protest
For decades, protest has been a pillar of democracy, the force behind social progress from workers’ rights to Indigenous justice. Yet, de Vietri points out that the Victorian government is now seeking to curtail those very freedoms.
“The Labor government is trying to criminalise protest because they know how powerful it is,” she says. “They are banning face coverings at protests, outlawing glue, ropes, and chains used in environmental activism, and forcing multicultural organisations to sign ‘social cohesion pledges’ to access funding. This is coercion disguised as policy.”
She draws a striking historical parallel: “The very same Labor government that unveiled a statue of Zelda D’Aprano—who chained herself to a building in protest for equal pay—would today be criminalising her for bringing a chain to a demonstration.”
De Vietri warns that these laws are not just about suppressing one movement but setting a dangerous precedent. “If they can silence pro-Palestinian protesters today, they can silence workers, Indigenous activists, and climate advocates tomorrow. Every social movement that has made real change has done so through protest—Labor itself was built on that history, and now they are betraying it.”
A Broken System
Beyond the protest crackdown, de Vietri paints a grim picture of an entrenched political culture that prioritises power over principle. “The institutionalised bullying and intimidation in parliament is just part of the course,” she says. “When I speak out against the genocide of Palestinian people, against the demolition of public housing, or against corporate greed, I am met with jeers and abuse from 84 members of parliament across party lines.”
It is a system, she argues, designed to exclude anyone who challenges the status quo. “No wonder we don’t have more women and people of colour putting their hands up for politics—it’s an intimidating, oppressive, colonial structure.”
The Case for a Strong Crossbench
Despite the bleak realities of party politics, de Vietri remains steadfast in her belief that change is possible—but only if the two-party stranglehold is broken.
“The major parties have become indistinguishable,” she says. “Labor and Liberal are listening to their corporate donors and lobbyists, not their voters. They reinforce the two-party system with laws that block minor parties and independents from gaining ground.”
This, she argues, is why a strong crossbench is crucial. “When the Greens hold the balance of power, we force the government to negotiate. We push for action on climate change, affordable housing, and social justice. We challenge the corporate stranglehold on politics.”
The Road Ahead
For de Vietri, the message is clear: Australians cannot afford to disengage. “Labor has abandoned its principles, but that doesn’t mean we stop fighting. We need people to get involved, to push back against these oppressive laws, and to demand better from those in power.”
As she continues her work inside parliament, she remains a fierce advocate for change—undaunted by the hostility she faces. “This system wasn’t built for people like me. But that’s exactly why I’m here.”
