United Nations experts have urged the West Australian government to reconsider controversial anti-protest legislation, which they say contravenes international human rights law.
Three UN rapporteurs say the proposed legislation, which would allow for the arrest of protesters locking themselves to trees or machinery to prevent lawful activity, goes against Australia's human rights obligations.
"Instead of having a necessary legitimate aim, the bill's offence provisions disproportionately criminalise legitimate protest actions," UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression David Kaye said.
The bill is expected to be debated on Tuesday, the year's first sitting day of the WA Parliament, with newly appointed deputy premier Liza Harvey previously saying the government needed to protect the rights of companies that were lawfully conducting business.
"This proposed offence will relieve the frustration and delay for workers and management at development sites and ensure people who partake in dangerous conduct will face consequences for their actions," Ms Harvey said in a statement.
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The legislation, which was introduced in March, has drawn criticism from human rights lawyers as well as the WA Greens.
Human Rights Law Centre director of advocacy Emily Howie said the bill would criminalise legitimate protest and give police excessively broad and unnecessary power.
"The proposed law is written in such vague and broad terms that it would turn innocent acts into matters worthy of arrest," Ms Howie said.
Greens MP Lynn MacLaren said the UN's intervention had embarrassed WA.
"WA is once again in the international spotlight for all the wrong reasons, thanks to this government's anti-democratic, anti-environment agenda," Ms MacLaren said.
Premier Colin Barnett dismissed the UN's criticisms of the proposed legislation, saying he would always allow protests to take place if they were peaceful.
"This is WA, Australia, a First World nation with great freedoms, civil liberties and the like," Mr Barnett said.
"This is not some despot country in Africa, or wherever.
"Any suggestion that there is some sort of unreasonable crackdown on protesters is just false."
