Bob Katter’s vaccine rally speech: Kennedy MP vows to take vaccine mandate fight to Canberra
Bob Katter received a roar of applause while speaking at the Cairns “freedom” rally and has vowed to take the vaccine mandate fight to Canberra this week.
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BOB Katter received a roar of applause from protestors at a Cairns “freedom” rally as he vowed to take the vaccine mandate fight to Canberra this week.
While the Kennedy MP is double jabbed himself, he promised protestors he would go into bat for their freedoms, which he accused state premiers of “spitting on”.
“Freedom should be honoured and fought for, not spat upon as the premiers of Queensland and Victoria have done,” Mr Katter said.
“You’ll be hearing from me on this in Canberra.
“I warn the government to be prepared.”
During his speech, Mr Katter also claimed about eight people in his electorate had either died, become crippled or faced serious medical complications after getting vaccinated, which earned him a roar of applause from anti-vaccine mandate protesters at the “freedom” rally, held on the Cairns Esplanade on Saturday.
Mr Katter did not produce further details or any evidence to support his claims.
“I just want to say that we’ve had eight cases, nine cases, into our office,” he said.
“Two, they got the immunisation, they died.
“Two, they got the immunisation and they are crippled for life.
“Three have serious problems that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
“And one was rushed into ICU intensive care almost straight after he got the inoculation.
“So don’t tell me there’s no problem.
“If one small member of parliament’s office has eight in eight weeks, there is one huge problem.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Katter said the veteran politician’s speech “referred to eight cases which have been presented to his office either directly to the executive officer or to staff”.
“We cannot disclose any further details about these cases as they are confidential and were entrusted to us based on this discretion,” she said.
The spokeswoman said Mr Katter had spoken out against government Covid policies on multiple occasions – including when he labelled check-in requirements “Orwellian” back in April 2020.
Mr Katter has alluded to a plan to withdraw support from the Morrison Government unless it made a stand against state vaccination mandates.
Queensland Health issued a statement in response to Mr Katter’s comments saying vaccines were safe and effective.
“We can’t make this any clearer: Vaccines. Save. Lives,” it said.
“The vast majority of Queenslanders are sensible enough to know this.
“The Covid-19 vaccines are proven to be safe and effective.
“They have been through a rigorous review process by the TGA.
“What isn’t safe is the misinformation being peddled by anti-vaxxers.”
The latest data from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which regulates the quality and supply of medicines used within Australia, shows that nine people have died nationwide as a result of vaccine complications since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
The federal Department of Health has also been asked for comment.
Thousands of people attended the rally next to Muddy’s Playground before marching along the Esplanade.
Editor’s Note: a previous version of this article referred to Bob Katter asserting that there were eight or nine people in his office who had been adversely affected by the Covid vaccine. As the article now reports, The Cairns Post accepts that Mr Katter meant to convey that eight or nine people in his electorate had experienced such adverse reactions.
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