Police are investigating and politicians have issued condemnations after independent Victorian MP Catherine Cumming made a speech that appeared to call for Premier Daniel Andrews to be attacked.
At a rally in Melbourne on Saturday, Cumming said he wanted Andrews to become “red mist”, referring to a term used to describe someone who has been shot.
“I joined the Angry Victorians Party for one reason,” he said in a speech to the crowd.
Victorian MP Catherine Cumming, shown here at a rally in December 2021. (Paul Jeffers)
“To make Daniel Andrews turn into red mist.”
“In the military we’d call it pink mist, but I want it in red mist…
“Give anybody a job here in the military to blow somebody up and they will.”
Pink haze is a military term that refers to someone who has just been shot by a sniper.
Victoria Police confirmed to 9News.com.au that they are investigating comments made at the rally.
“Police will be investigating following a report of inflammatory behavior during a speech at a rally outside Flinders Street Station on November 19,” a spokesman said.
“As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
Cumming, a former mayor of Maribyrnong, insisted he was not inciting violence, in comments made to The Sunday Age.
“My reference to the red mist is the red shirts [scandal] … to blow up corruption. You’re asking me what I meant, and I know what I meant,” he said.
While Cumming admits she could have expressed herself better and “expanded what she wanted to say,” she says there was nothing wrong with her speech.
“The police were there on the steps of Flinders Street station – if I had done anything wrong they would have arrested me,” he said.
The Angry Victorians Party also issued a statement, with Cumming saying: “I can understand how some may have come to this interpretation, but I want to make it explicitly clear that I do not wish or call for any physical harm to Daniel Andrews.”
“He and his brigade of red shirts must be exploited in this election, at the polls.”
Angry Victorian Party’s Heston Russell posted video about Catherine Cumming’s ‘red mist’ comments at Victorian pre-election rally (Instagram/HestonRussell)
Addressing Cumming’s comments, Heston Russell, founder of the Angry Victorians Party, admitted it “definitely didn’t look good” on first viewing, but believes Cumming “didn’t mean real violence”.
“He will be held accountable,” he said of the police investigation, in a video posted to Instagram on Saturday.
Add incident: “never boring in the campaign”.
In a separate and since-deleted Instagram video, which is still being shared on Twitter, Russell tried to diffuse the situation, saying: “A lot of people are angry, a lot of people are emotional, but we definitely need to tone it down. “.
Derryn Hinch, whose party Cumming was part of when she was elected, condemned the comments on Twitter and apologized for his part in helping her reach parliament.
“I fired her before she was even sworn in,” he wrote.
“She was a former mayor who came recommended by trusted people. His performance, like today, has been contemptible.
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy also hit out at Cummings.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the remarks made today by Dr. Catherine Cumming,” he said in a statement.
“Statements and language like this have no place in our state or nation. Dr. Cumming should withdraw these remarks immediately and apologize unreservedly.
“It is up to all participants in state elections, from candidates to volunteers, to participate in this important process with respect.”