DESPITE the genuinely warm and moving welcome the Albanese government gave President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Australian Parliament, some Green senators managed to protest his visit, raising the issue of alleged human rights abuses. According to reports, Sen. Janet Rice raised from her seat a banner that accused the honored guest of such abuses and had to be escorted out of parliament.

Three other Green senators — Jordon Steele John, David Shoebridge and Barbara Pocock — reportedly joined Rice in her protest, but they failed to disrupt Marcos' performance as he spoke of 'bayanihan and mateship' between Australia and the Philippines.