Labor MP Ed Husic is using his time on the backbench to speak on whatever he pleases.

He tells the ABC he spoke at the Voices for Gaza vigil because he felt it was important:

I don’t think it was a particularly heretical act of participate in making sure those killed in Gaza are not forgotten and it was hard I have to say reading those names.

They were either teenagers, young children and in some cases babies and reading out the names and even harder on a day where we have heard 15 people have died of starvation, including one six week old baby. I met today with an Australian medical practitioner who has worked in the Nassar Hospital, recounted her experiences, how difficult it was to treat people.

The fact doctors and nurses are giving up their meals so others can have food, even though it is important they be sustained to do the crucial work they are doing, so it is hard and I think it is a human thing to do to make sure those people are not forgotten and there are a number of parliamentarians that took place in coming back to the question you put, I would not have been surprised if it was difficult to take part in it.