Dr Monique Ryan has put several heckling Coalition MPs in their place in the House of Representatives, telling them to put their masks on as they interrupted her first question of the 47th parliament.
Dr Ryan, the independent MP who unseated former treasurer Josh Frydenberg at the election, didn’t tolerate the heckling as she attempted to ask Health Minister Mark Butler about how the government was going to manage the increasing number of long Covid cases in the community.
“Put your masks on,” Dr Ryan directed to Coalition MPs who were shouting on top of her question.
On Twitter later, Dr Ryan, who is a paediatric neurologist, explained that she didn’t “appreciate being interrupted while speaking on serious risks of repeated covid infections”.
“I particularly don’t appreciate being interrupted by shouting LNP MPs who refuse to wear masks,” she said. “We all have a duty to look after each other. Here & everywhere. Put your mask on!”
Dr Ryan said she only removed her own mask to ask her question to the health minister, which is the normal protocol in the chamber.
“If you’ve been watching parliament (or this video closely) you might think that wearing a mask was some sort of party-political statement instead of a way to look after each other…”
In the new parliament, many Coalitions MPs have chosen not to wear masks, creating a stark contrast to the government and most of the crossbench, who are wearing masks while sitting.