Protesters from climate activist group Extinction Rebellion occupied Katy Gallagher's office demanding the Minister for Finance and Women help to stop the approval of new coal mines.
About a dozen protesters marched into the senator's office in Woden on Thursday afternoon after graffitiing 'More Coal = Mass Murder' on the outside of the building in bright orange paint.
At least two protesters glued themselves to the inside of the office saying they wouldn't budge until the senator or her staff spoke to them.
The Winchester South coal project which received environmental approval from the Queensland Government earlier this month was one of the group's main concerns.
They said they were "concerned citizens, voters, grandparents and parents" who had visited the office many times to discuss the issue. After saying their voices had not been heard, the group occupied the office to escalate the situation "for good reason".
Although federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was in charge of approving new coal projects, protester Margaret Clough said they could not go to her office and decided to occupy their local senator's office.
"[Senator Gallagher] is not doing the approving but she's certainly not taxing fossil fuel companies. She's too busy meeting with lobbyists," Ms Clough said. "There's an election coming soon and I'll be very disappointed if that's the only time she'll listen to us."
She said Ms Gallagher was a "wonderful politician" in speaking up for women, but that women would be "profoundly" affected by climate change.
"What is Katie thinking? Is she thinking? I don't know what Labor is thinking that they're continuing to approve these massive deadly mines," Ms Clough said.
According to Whitehaven Coal's environmental impact statement, the mine in Central Queensland's Bowen Basin would cause 583 million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution.
"We need people like Katy Gallagher who's in the Cabinet ... she should be in there fighting for her children and all the other generations coming forward," John Wurcker said
Another protester said citizens' assemblies should be implemented if politicians' "hands are tied".
"[Politicians] take lot of donations from the fossil fuel industry, which means companies like Woodside and Santos can essentially write their own legislation ... that's a poor reflection of our democracy," he said.
Ms Clough said protesters would stay at the office until the police came to unglue her and physically escort others out.
"We need to act as though we were at war. That's how serious our situation is," she said.
"We should be putting all our efforts into stopping increasing heating and devastating floods, fires and storms, otherwise billions of humans and innumerable species will die."
Police arrived at the office and protesters eventually left the location about 3pm after asking for an in-person meeting with Ms Gallagher, who was overseas at the time.
