Greens candidate Sophie McNeill refuses to comment on protesters naming Richard Goyder, Meg O’Neill’s children

A Greens candidate who is all but guaranteed to be elected at next year’s State election has refused to comment on protesters naming the children of Woodside executives at Wednesday’s AGM. Sophie McNeill, who was one of several protesters at Wednesday’s Woodside AGM, attended the meeting as a proxy voter on behalf of another shareholder. Ms McNeill has been preselected by the Greens for the winnable second spot on the party’s Upper House ticket. Speaking to The West, Ms McNeill said she had no comment on two Disrupt Burrup Hub protesters choosing to name the children of Woodside chairman Richard Goyder and chief executive Meg O’Neill at the event. But she said the traditional owner who spoke as protesters sang was a friend of the group, and had been together after the AGM. Two 17-year-old school students were among the three Disrupt Burrup Hub protesters who entered the AGM at Crown Towers as proxy shareholders. Before being escorted out of the meeting by security personnel, one of the students yelled out the names of Mr Goyder’s four children, while the other student yelled out the name of Ms O’Neill’s eldest child and accused the company boss of “killing kids”. Many of the 300 in attendance could not hear what was said and Mr Goyder said afterwards he was unaware his children were targeted. However, Ms O’Neill said the protesters were “out of line”. “I think there were some very disrespectful behaviours exhibited by some of the people who attended our meeting today,” she said. “Again, I’m fair game, (and) Richard, I think, would accept that he’s fair game, but our families have the right to go about their business.” Speaking to The West Australian after the protest, one of the students said it was “100 per cent” appropriate to bring up the names of the Woodside executives’ children. “To be honest, (Ms O’Neill) has done an absolute disregard to the future of every young person, every person ever being on this planet,” she said. “We thought a mention of her child could cause her to see reason and think about how she’s affecting the future of her child as well as children everywhere. While Mr Goyder narrowly survived a vote on his position as chairman at the AGM, a vote on Woodside’s climate plan was voted down.