Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers has condemned last week's violent protests in Melbourne, saying you can express a view in Australia without dragging around a gallows and noose and calling for premiers to be hanged.
Protesters demonstrated outside Victorian parliament last week against the government's contentious pandemic bill and vaccine mandates, while making threats against MPs.
"I condemn without reservation, without qualification, the violent threats being made here, even if the prime minister won't," Dr Chalmers told ABC's Insider program.
"You can express a view in this country without dragging around gallows and noose and calling for premiers to be hanged."
Prime Minister Scott Minister denounced the violent protests but also said he had sympathy for Australians who had had a gutful of governments telling them what to do during the pandemic.
Government frontbencher Stuart Robert backed his leader.
"Governments shouldn't be telling Australians how to live their lives. They had a lot of that by necessity for the last 18 months," Mr Robert told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program.
There were further rallies in Victoria and other parts of the country on Saturday, but these proved to be peaceful.
Victoria reported 1275 new coronavirus cases on Sunday and a further four deaths.
In NSW there were 176 infections and two deaths, while in the ACT there were 16 cases.
From Monday, visitor restrictions will ease at all ACT hospitals, community health centres and walk-in centres to allow two visitors per patient, per day during visiting hours.
"The decision to restrict visitors to our health facilities is always a difficult one, but it ensures we can protect the health and safety of everyone," ACT Health said in a statement on Sunday.
"This is especially necessary for our most vulnerable, particularly patients whose health is already compromised."
