Documents reveal ‘scramble’ to rubber-stamp NSW bill targeting climate protests

The bill that led to climate activist Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco being jailed for 15 months had not even made it through the New South Wales parliament in April when the offices of multiple ministers were pushing to have it rubber-stamped by the state’s governor.

Documents obtained by the Guardian reveal how the governor, Margaret Beazley, agreed to return to her office about 11pm after a function in April to sign off on the laws after a senior public servant complained he was “copping it from absolutely every direction”.

The late-night signoff capped a mad scramble to push the laws through state parliament after a media furore over climate protests that had stalled Sydney peak hour traffic and halted operations at the Port Botany.

It took only two days for the bill to be voted through the NSW parliament with the support of the Labor opposition. It was first introduced only a week after deputy premier and police minister, Paul Toole, held two press conferences on the same day promising harsher punishments.

The government also took the unusual step of recalling the parliament for…