Morrison calls for ‘unity’ and ‘discipline’ after Coalition MPs broke ranks on vaccine mandates

Moving to rein in Coalition divisions over vaccine mandates, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged colleagues not to give Labor ‘courage’ ahead of the election.

Moving to rein in an outbreak of Coalition division over vaccine mandates, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged his colleagues to stay disciplined and not “put a smile on Labor’s face” heading into an election year.

After a chaotic start to the final parliamentary sitting fortnight for 2021 included five government senators crossing the floor on vaccine mandates, Mr Morrison used a joint party room meeting of Liberal and National members on Tuesday to remind the team what was at “stake”.

“Discipline and unity wins elections, and if we surrender that we surrender government,” Mr Morrison report­edly told colleagues.

“Are we going to leave (the parliament fortnight) having given our political opponents in the Labor Party great courage? Will you put a smile on Labor’s face, or a smile on those who want to see us re-elected?”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked for discipline within the government. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The Prime Minister said it was up to the government “as a team” to “keep doing the positive things we are doing,” vowing he knew the “path” to electoral victory in 2022.

“We can do it (win) again,” he said. “I’m leaving nothing on the field between now and the next election.”

Mr Morrison told MPs being in government in a political party was about the “give and take”.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want, sometimes it does,” he said.

Labor has been quick to capitalise on the division, with leader Anthony Albanese linking Mr Morrison’s failure to rein in senators over vaccine mandates to his ability to govern.

“If you can’t govern your party, how can you govern the country,” Mr Albanese said.

The opposition is using the last weeks of parliament to force Mr Morrison to respond to what it claims were his “lies” about electric vehicles, his holiday to Hawaii and ­initial denial he called former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari, “Shanghai-Sam”.

Anthony Albanese and the PM Scott Morrison faced off in Question Time. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Morrison’s warning followed earlier attempts to publicly play down the significance of the five ­Coalition senators crossing the floor to vote against the government and back a One Nation bill seeking to override states’ vaccine mandates on Monday.

Though the bill failed, the government’s fortnight has been further complicated by threats from Liberal senators Gerard Rennick and Alex Antic to abstain from voting in protest of vaccine mandates.

On Monday night the two renegade senators made good on their threat and did not vote on a national security bill about critical infrastructure, which still passed as it had the support of Labor.

Mr Rennick did not attend the joint party room meeting on Tuesday, but later said he and his colleagues were “working through the issues,” repeating his calls for an end to vaccine mandates.

The passage of other more controversial government legislation is far less assured however, with concerns bills including the introduction of voter ID laws and a crackdown on charities who trespass on private land would not pass the senate without the two Liberals.

Mr Morrison also announced he plans to bring on debate for the government’s religious discrimination bill, which was finally revealed in full on Tuesday.

During a discussion on the proposed measures in the bill, several Liberal moderates ­expressed concerns, including from NSW, Reid MP Fiona Martin, North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman, Wentworth MP Dave Sharma and Senator Andrew Bragg. Fears included the potential harm caused by provisions on statements of belief, allowing people to make honestly held faith-based statements provided they did not incite violence, harassment, intimi­dation of vilification.

Labor is using the last sitting fortnight of the year to attack Prime Minister Scott Morrison over alleged lies he has told in office. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Concerns also included protections for gay students and teachers, with suggestions this issue be considered at the same time as the religious discrimination bill rather than 12 months after the legislation as currently planned.

There were also a number of members who spoke in favour of the bill, including from NSW Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh, Berowra MP Julian Leeser and others including Senator Matt Canavan and Boothby MP Nicolle Flint.

Mr Morrison moved to allay all fears by promising the bill would be referred to a committee to ensure all ­aspects were properly ­considered.

It is expected Labor would support the bill’s passage to the Senate on the basis it would then be properly scrutinised and amended.