It's time courts cracked down on people assaulting community leaders.
The egging of Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week was a disgraceful event.
Australia may well be one of the world's great egalitarian societies but acts like show nothing more than disrespect and contempt to a national leader.
The woman who threw an egg at the prime minister said she was protesting against the government's treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island.
She said Morrison "deserved it". What rubbish.
By her statements we can safely assume she comes from the left of the political divide.
If that is the case, she must be an incredibly confused person because one of the views espoused by the left is live and let live regardless of your position on red hot issues like same sex marriage and immigration.
In fact, an egalitarian is one who supports equality for all people. Civil rights include freedom and equality under the law and that includes political leaders like Scott Morrison and opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Only last month right-wing flag bearer Fraser Anning had an egg broken on his head by a teenage boy.
Anning wears his racism and hatred for others as some sort of weird badge of courage so clearly he also does not understand equal rights. Regardless, the assault on him was wrong.
Disruption of election rallies and egging is nothing new in world democracies and right wingers have thrown eggs too but this style of personal assault must be nipped in the bud before it becomes something more sinister.
There are many impressionable people out there and it is not hard to imagine that some fools might be stirred by these events.
A strong response from magistrates will not necessarily stop this behaviour but certainly will deter some.