Coronavirus Australia: Jacqui Lambie attacks Scott Morrison’s leadership after parliament chaos
Jacqui Lambie launched the scathing attack on Scott Morrison while live on television, days after a rebel group of MPs went against vaccine mandates.
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Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has taken a swipe at Scott Morrison’s leadership after a chaos erupted in the final two weeks of parliament, which saw rogue senators going against the government to support a bill against vaccine mandates.
Senator Lambie delivered a passionate speech against the bill, declaring people who attacked her staff over vaccination were “un-Australian”.
“Being held accountable for your actions isn’t called discrimination, it’s called being, you wouldn’t believe it, a goddamn bloody adult,” Ms Lambie said in the Senate on Monday.
Speaking to Today, Ms Lambie defended her comments and said the Prime Minister was “hanging in with everything he has”.
“I just wonder when you start to see people falling apart, and it’s really in our face up here … my problem is his leadership, and I’ve never really believed he was a leader, so that’s where I come from,” she said.
“I’m being brutally honest here. I am very lucky I did serve in the military and had great leaders there. When you look at them compared to what I have seen up here so far, it is not very impressive, mate.
“This country runs on loyalty and trust, that is the way it is, the Australian way. People are not feeling that.”
It comes as One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts publicly shared Senator Lambie’s private mobile number earlier this week, which saw her receiving a barrage of anonymous callers.
“I don’t know what it was, but it was a really, really awful move to make. Even though my number’s been out there for 17 years, never had a problem with it.”
Star tests positive as PM faces vaccine mandate backlash
Double-vaxxed television and radio star Chrissie Swan has Covid-19.
But she told her 228,000 Instagram followers on Wednesday that she had so far escaped serious consequences of contracting the disease, saying her worst symptom was “fatigue”.
Swan joins her Nova breakfast co-star and AFL legend Jonathan Brown – also double vaxxed – on the sidelines with Covid. He tested positive on Saturday, alongside his son, Jack.
She also becomes the second host of The Project to go down with Covid-19, after comedian Peter Helliar tested positive this month.
Swan told her followers she would be back on the airwaves soon, from home.
She joked about the fatigue brought on by the virus that “I think I’ve been tired for 20 years, so I’m match fit.”
Swan’s illness is the second major effect the pandemic has had on her.
She revealed on The Project in October that she had given up alcohol “after giving it a fair nudge in the first lockdown last year”.
Swan said she had not had an alcoholic drink in about nine months.
“I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve taken from it, is that it didn’t help,” she said.
She said her anxiety had been “through the roof” and she had been unable to sleep properly”.
Swan said that after quitting “I really noticed a huge difference in my day-to-day positivity and ability to deal with the pandemic … if I’m clear minded.”
Morrison’s stark warning as another MP hints at joining vaccine mandate rebels
A Nationals MP is considering joining a group of rebel MPs vowing to abstain from voting on government legislation over vaccine mandates.
Llew O’Brien, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, left the doors open to joining the group as soon as next week, despite the Prime Minister warning that the Coalition would lose the next election if it were divided.
According to The Australian, Scott Morrison stared down a backbench rebellion in the Coalition party room meeting on Tuesday, declaring Labor would “sneak into government” if MPs were not disciplined and united.
“If we surrender that, we surrender government,” Mr Morrison told MPs, according to Coalition sources.
“It’s up to us whether we will allow Labor to take the reins of government.”
Mr O’Brien told The Australian he would consider abstaining on legislation if the Prime Minister didn’t secure a timeline from state governments on when vaccine mandates would end.
“Any sort of a timeline needs to be established. There needs to be an end date on this stuff,” Mr O’Brien said.
“I’m keeping a close eye on it. While I’m not in that (rebel) camp at the moment, I am not ruling any future action out.”
It comes as Nationals MP George Christensen threatened to cause chaos in parliament on Monday unless the government acts quickly to protect Australians from “vaccine discrimination”.
Mr Morrison told MPs they could choose to spend the next two sitting weeks in Canberra making the government stronger or putting a “smile on Labor’s face”.
The Coalition controls 76 of 151 members of the House of Representatives, including the Speaker.
If Mr Christensen was to follow through on his threat and cross the floor, the government would need the support of Labor or a crossbencher to pass legislation.
The Queenslander’s rebellion means the government will have a hard time getting its religious discrimination bill, voter identification reforms, and a federal anti-corruption commission through the lower house.
Mr Christensen’s threat came after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson tried unsuccessfully to pass a bill in the Senate, which sought to ban mandatory vaccinations and overturn state and territory leader’s requirements for full vaccination to be required in some settings.
Liberal backbenchers Gerard Rennick and Alex Antic crossed the floor to vote alongside Senator Hanson and fellow One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts.
Coalition senators Matt Canavan, Sam McMahon and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells also voted for the bill.
In response, senator Jacqui Lambie gave an impassioned plea for unvaccinated Australians to be a “Goddamn bloody adult” and put others before themselves.
Senator Rennick and Senator Antic have pledged to withhold support for all government legislation until state-based vaccine mandates are overturned.
Late on Monday, Mr Christensen shared a blog post throwing his support behind Senator Hanson, Senator Rennick and Senator Antic.
He vowed to spend the final seven sitting days of this year causing havoc for the government unless it agrees to his vaccine mandate demands.
“Earlier today, I informed Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce (and the Nationals party room of which I am a member) that, unless we act to stop state governments and private corporations from discriminating against non-vaccinated Australians when it comes to either employment or clientele, then I intend to not be beholden to party room discipline when voting in the House of Representatives,” he said.
“To be clear, until federal action is taken against vaccine discrimination, I will be voting according to my conscience (or abstaining from votes) on bills and substantive motions rather than just voting with the government as MPs usually do.”
Mr Christensen said as a member of the LNP, he would continue to support the government with confidence motions and supply as well as procedural motions – except if they relate to ending vaccine discrimination.
“My support is not guaranteed,” he said.
“When action is taken to stop vaccine discrimination, I will go back to the normal process of voting with the government on most, if not all, bills and substantive motions.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, after the Liberal senators crossed the floor, that the coalition “ (doesn’t) run as an autocracy”.
“We don’t kick people out of our party if they happen from time to time to disagree on issues on which they feel strongly,” he said.
“We don’t agree with the measures that were in (Senator Hanson’s) bill … but I respect the fact that individual members from time to time will express a view and they’ll vote accordingly.”
Mr Morrison has voiced his criticism of state and territory mandatory vaccination laws, but will not support legislation that would effectively overturn them.
Mr Christensen said he anticipated his stance would result in personal attacks, but he would not back down.
“Far more important than my political and personal reputation is the prospect of ending the tyranny, the discrimination, the segregation, the job losses, and the negative business impacts that are being wrought on my fellow Australians,” he said.
Victoria records 1196 new cases, three deaths; NSW records 248 cases, two deaths
Victoria recorded 1196 new Covid-19 cases and three more deaths on Wednesday.
It’s a slight spike in cases after the state posted 827 infections on Tuesday.
There are now 284 infected Victorians in hospital, with 52 in active intensive care units and 29 on a ventilator.
More than 89 per cent of people older than 12 are fully vaccinated.
While Victoria is just days away from hitting the 90 per cent vaccination target, the new rules tied to the number were already relaxed late last week.
Victorians woke to the new round of freedoms on Friday, including the scrapping of density limits for hospitality, concerts and events with double-dosed attendees.
Premier Daniel Andrews revealed the host of changes on Thursday, saying “almost all” restrictions have now ended.
It comes as the Andrews government refused to rule out mandates for children after announcing unvaccinated children aged between 12 and 15 would be banned from entering most public venues, including the state’s hospitality venues and major events.
The move would see kids aged between five and 11 subject to a “no jab, no play” system when the vaccine becomes available to children in that age group.
School activities where a teacher is present are exempt, allowing unvaccinated teenagers to attend their own formals and graduation ceremonies.
The government is giving unvaccinated Victorian high school students an exemption to attend graduations and excursions, but will ban them from uniform shops.
The rule copped backlash on two fronts – from those who argue it doesn’t go far enough, and those who claim it will cause “segregation”.
“What about uniform shops, bookstores, scouts, basketball, karate, dance classes?” Liberal Democrat MP David Limbrick said.
“My 12 year-old daughter was told she would have to try clothes on the footpath out the front of the store … it’s humiliating.” parent Joel Robins said.
It comes as NSW reported 248 new Covid-19 infections and two new deaths on Wednesday.
There are 195 people in hospital with 35 in intensive care.
Across the state 94.4 per cent of the population aged over 16 have received their first dose of the vaccine, while 92 per cent are double-vaccinated.
HUGE CHANGE TO AUSTRALIA’S BORDER PLAN
Australia will welcome more than 200,000 international travellers into the country, including students, economic migrants and refugees, to boost the economy after the pandemic.
After double-dose vaccination rates for those aged over 16 pushed above 85 per cent on Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce on Monday a further easing of international border restrictions, putting Australia a step closer to Covid normality.
The government will focus on priority skilled migration as the nation struggles to plug gaps in the labour market.
International students will also be jumping to the front of the check-in desk as the education sector desperately tries to claw back the $40 billion market which supported about 250,000 local jobs prior to the pandemic.
According to The Australian, a key focus for the government will be shifting to booster vaccines ahead of winter to avoid a European scenario where countries have been forced to reimpose Covid-19 restrictions.
“As our recovery gathers pace, businesses around the country are increasingly in need of skilled workers, whether they be in hospitality, mining, construction, or professional services,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told The Australian.
“In meetings last week with businesses representing almost every sector of the economy, the most pressing issue raised was workforce shortages and the need to reopen our borders, allowing skilled migration to recommence.”
The humanitarian program is expected to resume next year as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
It comes as the Australia-Singapore bubble burst into life on Sunday with fully vaccinated visitors from the city state able to arrive into Sydney and Melbourne for a quarantine-free holiday.
While most of the arrivals were reuniting with loved ones rather than heading off to hotels, their delight in the long-awaited easing of restrictions was unrestrained.
NT BRACES FOR SURGE IN CASES
Northern Territory authorities are worried about a surge in Covid-19 cases in indigenous communities after nine were detected in Binjari on the outskirts of Katherine, plunging it and nearby Rockhole into hard lockdowns that are expected to last for weeks.
The nine cases were reported in Binjari, which is within the Katherine lockdown area, on Saturday: five men aged 17 to 45 and four women aged 23 to 78.
Under the strict lockdown, residents can only leave their home and yard for medical reasons or an emergency.
The news came as Victorian Premier Dan Andrews launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the tens of thousands of people who marched in his state in weekend demonstrations against mandatory vaccination and lockdowns.
“I see people are protesting against lockdowns. There are no lockdowns because the community didn’t listen to anti-vaxxers,’’ he said.
Last week Mr Andrews accused Mr Morrison of “double speak” for condemning violent protests in Victoria but also saying he understood people were frustrated by governments “telling people what to do”.
While he said on Sunday he did not want to add to these comments, Mr Andrews went on to say that the Prime Minister didn’t decide policy on mandated vaccinations, passports or venue access.
“Oh well, the Prime Minister doesn’t determine those matters,” he said.
“They are matters of state public health law and they are not a matter for the PM, frankly. I would refer him back to his national plan.”
Mr Andrews’ attack on the Federal Government then escalated.
“What the government’s not entitled to do is pander,” he said.
“The government’s not entitled to double speak. The government’s not entitled to cuddle up to extremists. And some people have done that.”
Meanwhile, in the Top End, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said on Sunday no new cases had been recorded overnight, but the 78-year-old woman had been hospitalised.
The nine cases were spread across multiple households and Mr Gunner warned many more cases may emerge.
“What’s … concerning is the evidence of substantial mingling between households in Binjari as well as mingling back and forth between Binjari and the nearby community of Rockhole,” Mr Gunner told reporters on Sunday.
“These communities have very strong personal and family connections. It probably helps to think of them more as one big household, rather than a lot of different households.
“For these reasons, we do expect numbers in Binjari and probably Rockhole to increase — and they may increase by a lot. We have to be prepared for that.
“At this stage, there is very little chance of Binjari and Rockhole exiting any form of lockdown in the next few weeks.
“For the rest of the region, I said this yesterday, I want to repeat this for repeat this Katherine residents. If and when the lockdown ends, it will not go straight back to normal.
“It will be a transition out of lockdown.”
Mr Gunner said there were still positive wastewater results from one catchment in Katherine, which was due to exit lockdown at 6pm on Monday, but a decision would be made in the morning.
“We have removed the positive cases identified in that area – it does concern us that we are getting positive readings there,” he said.
“That means it is likely there’s still a positive case, or cases in that part of Katherine that have not come forward for testing.
“What has become clear to us based on the level of movement that has been happening in some communities outside of Katherine, is there is a real risk that the virus has reached the connected communities further away.”
Given that risk, a mask mandate has been put in place for communities in areas including Barunga, Daly Waters and Pine Creek, Mr Gunner said.
The top end outbreak that plunged Katherine into lockdown, Greater Darwin into lockout and spread to the Robinson River indigenous community earlier this month, prompting a lockdown there, was sparked after a woman who had been in Melbourne did not declare it when she entered the territory then tested positive.
The Chief Minister announced on Saturday travellers would need to be fully vaccinated to enter the Northern Territory from Monday, saying people who chose not to get the jab were “no longer welcome”.
All travellers must also provide a negative test result 72 hours before they arrive.
NEW NT RULES FOR FULLY VAXXED
Travellers will need to be fully vaccinated before they can enter the Northern Territory under a new mandate to begin from Monday.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced only double-vaccinated people could enter the territory on Saturday, saying people who chose not to get the jab were “no longer welcome”.
All travellers must also provide a negative test result 72 hours before they arrive.
Home quarantine will also end on December 20, just in time for Christmas.
Previously, travellers from green zones did not need to be vaccinated but the Top End leader said that loophole was closed because the most recent outbreak reminded authorities that Covid came from everywhere.
“We have to be vigilant … Unvaccinated people from green zones are more of a risk to us than fully vaccinated people from red zones,” he said.
“As you know, the genomic sequencing confirms the outbreak we are dealing with in Katherine started from a person arriving from Queensland. The person had been to Victoria and hadn't told us.
“It was easy for this to spread because, an arrival from a green zone, there is no requirement for the person to be vaccinated or take a test.
“She was not vaccinated, had not been tested (and) has been allowed into the territory. She did not mean to (spread Covid), but she did.
“If we stopped (her) from entering the Territory based on the vaccination status, or tested her on arrival, there would be no spread of Covid-19.”
Under the news rules that come into effect on November 22, those who are double-jabbed from red zone areas, like Victoria and NSW, can enter the Top End and will only need to undergo seven days of home quarantine as well as testing.
From December 20, Mr Gunner said there would be no more home quarantine.
Mr Gunner said the success of the home quarantine pilot program proved to authorities that the risk could be managed.
“The pilot program has taught us that arrivals from red zones who are fully vaccinated and get tested before and after they arrived, the risk of spread in the Territory is very low,” he said.
The chief minister warned those who were not fully vaccinated and tried to enter would be fined and immediately turned around.
There was just one new Covid-19 case was recorded in the Territory on Saturday.
The 31-year-old vaccinated woman was a close contact of a confirmed case and was already put into quarantine.
No new exposure list have been listed.
Mr Gunner said current vaccination trends suggested the Top End would reach its 80 per cent double-dose target next week.
PM’S FUNNY BOOSTER SHOT MOMENT
The first Aussie to get the Covid-19 vaccine received her booster shot next to Scott Morrison on Friday – making a cheeky reference to a hilarious moment the pair previously had together on live TV.
Jane Milysiak, of Marayong in northwest Sydney, had her first jab in February before she accidentally did an obscene gesture on live TV.
The Prime Minister, who had his own Covid shot shortly after, had encouraged her to flash a peace sign for the cameras, saying it was meant to be a “V for vaccine”.
Ms Milysiak, 84, obliged, but accidentally turned her hand the other way, doing the universal sign for “up yours”, causing the room to erupt into laughter.
There were chuckles again as Mr Morrison asked Ms Milysiak to do a thumbs-up sign with him for the cameras this time around.
“We might give a thumbs up today, what do you think?” he asked.
Ms Milysiak joked “oh yep … right way” as she slowly raised her hand to do the sign.
“We will give a thumbs up. Good one, you,” Mr Morrison said.
After getting photos together, Ms Milysiak said “just a while ago … I put it up the wrong way”.
She then made a cheeky comment about it being “naughty” before Mr Morrison took her away to do their 15 minutes wait time of being monitored together.
It comes as the PM called on state governments to remove Covid-19 restrictions in line with the National Cabinet Plan.
Mr Morrison said it was time for Australians to enjoy more freedoms.
“I’ve said very clearly that over the course of the pandemic that these restrictions have been, regrettably, necessary, and I was the advocate of those but we have now got to the point where the Australian economy is opening up again because of the hard work of Australians in ensuring that they went forward and did what we asked them to do, and that was to push through the lockdowns,” he said.
“Australians have earned, through their own sacrifices, through their own actions, for governments to start stepping back so they can step forward.
Mr Morrison also moved to differentiate himself from the Labor Party, characterising it as a party who liked to raise taxes and impede on people’s freedoms.
“I know, particularly the Labor Party likes interfering in people’s lives.
“They like putting up people’s taxes. They like governments controlling with more regulation.”
“We are focused on one very important job and that is to secure Australia’s economic recovery.”
Mr Morrison has also defended himself against accusations from Labor leaders he sympathised with protesters demonstrating against the Victorian government’s proposed pandemic laws.
“I completely and totally continue to denounce any violence, any threat, any intimidation and any suggestion that I have not done that is completely false. I have been completely clear on that issue,” Mr Morrison said.
“I have sympathies for Australians who have had a gutful of governments telling them what to do over the last two years and I think that they have been very clear on keeping their side of the deal.
“It’s now time for them to be able to step forward with their lives and for governments to step back out of their lives. That’s what Liberals believe. That’s what Nationals believe.”
‘IT’S A BIT RICH’: DAN SLAMS PM
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has told Mr Morrison he’s in no place to offer lectures on coronavirus restrictions given the federal government’s troubled handling of the vaccine rollout.
A furious Mr Andrews unloaded on the Prime Minister on Friday, saying Mr Morrison should consider his own track record before attacking states over their reopening plans.
Mr Morrison earlier this week knocked a plan by Labor-led Queensland to ban unvaccinated people from venues once the 80 per cent double-dose mark was achieved next month.
He said it was time for governments to stop “telling Australians what to do” now that vaccination rates were approaching the thresholds set out by national cabinet.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles was among those to hit back, accusing Mr Morrison of cosying up to “a coalition of anti-vaxxers” and putting people’s health at risk for his own political ambition.
Mr Andrews addressed the issue during an interview on Seven’s Sunrise on Friday.
“I have not come on your program this morning to have an argument with the Prime Minster, but I will say this: he is right to say that we have been in people’s lives,” Mr Andrews said.
“Why do we have lockdowns? Because we did not have a vaccine. Who forgot to order the vaccine? It wasn’t state premiers. I do not need to be lectured by Scott Morrison about these issues.”
Victoria last night eased Covid restrictions, meaning the state now has more freedoms than NSW.
Mr Andrews also said it “was a bit rich” for a prime minster from Sydney to be lecturing people about freedom.
“We have done the hard yards because there was not a vaccine. If there had been a vaccine earlier, when the virus came from Sydney this year, we would not have needed to lock down.”
In another breakfast TV segment, Defence Minister Peter Dutton leapt to the assistance of the Prime Minister, backing his stance on states opening up.
“I think the Prime Minister has made a perfectly sensible remark here,” the Queensland-based Mr Dutton told Nine’s Today.
“That is, the states in the plan they’ve signed up to, the commitment they gave to the country is, when we got to 80 per cent double vaccination rate we would go back to having to live with this.
“I just think you cannot segregate a part of the community, even if you disagree with the decision they’ve made and we are moving into a phase now where we have to live with this virus.”
WHEN QLD BORDER COULD OPEN
Queensland could open its borders for interstate travel from as early as December 6, nearly two weeks earlier than initially announced.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s road map to easing travel restrictions originally flagged December 17 as the target for 80 per cent vaccine coverage.
But acting chief health officer Peter Aitken said the state is on track to reach that target much earlier than expected, which will allow new freedoms of movement.
“On the current rates of vaccination, it should be well and truly before December 17 and I just asked Queenslanders again, go and get vaccinated and bring that date forward,” he told reporters on Friday morning.
“It’s a projection so it could be anywhere between the 6th and the 12th or December depending on how the vaccination rates go.”
More than 72 per cent of Queenslanders have received both doses of the jab and nearly 84 have received one.
The acting top doctor said there was no update on when the state will reach 90 per cent coverage, with expectations remaining for early January.
“It’s much easier to project once we have the first vaccination dose because then you can anticipate how long it takes people to be eligible for their second,” Dr Aitken said.
“So the sooner people go out and get their first dose, the sooner we’ll (be able to) project for the second and 90 per cent.”
When arriving from a hotspot once 80 per cent vaccine rate is reached, fully vaccinated people will be allowed to drive or fly into Queensland if they have proof of a negative Covid-19 test from within 72 hours of travel.
Entry requirements from Covid hot spots at 80 per cent:
- Travellers can arrive by air or road
- Must be fully vaccinated
- Have a negative Covid test in the 72-hours before travel
- No quarantine required
Entry requirements when Queensland reaches 90 per cent vaccinated:
- Quarantine limited to unvaccinated only
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