NT Labor calls on CLP to distance from Vice President Jed Hansen’s anti-mandate comments

Labour has accused the CLP of becoming a home for anti-vaccine sentiment in the Territory after the controversial appearance of the party’s Vice President.

UPDATE MON JAN 31: LABOR has accused the Country Liberal Party of becoming a home for anti-vaccine sentiment in the Territory, challenging the opposition to distance themselves from their Vice President’s rally speech.

Police Minister Nicole Manison criticised Lia Finocchiaro for comments made by the CLP Vice President Jed Hansen in his controversial appearance at an anti-mandate rally a week ago.

“We’ve also had a Vice President of the CLP come out and say that the CLP don’t really mean what they say about supporting mandatory vaccination and keeping people safe and that anti-vaxxers should run for the CLP,” Ms Manison said.

“Where has the leader of the opposition been through this? MIA. We have not seen or heard from her,”

On Monday, Ms Finocchiaro responded that Mr Hansen’s comments were a matter for him, and not the party.

“It is CLP policy to follow the best health advice and we maintain that position,” she said.

“Labor can try and deflect its failures with name-calling but Territorians know this Government is in complete crisis.”

The conflict follows the appearance of Mr Hansen at the Worldwide Rally for Freedom at Darwin’s Esplanade on Saturday, January 22.

The prominent CLP figure he claimed that the opposition’s support for the vaccine mandate was a political “strategy”.

“The CLP point of view is that they all universally support the vaccine mandate,” Mr Hansen said.

“I can absolutely tell you not everyone does because I do not. I never have.”

While denying he was an anti-vaxxer, the senior CLP figure repeated claims doctors were hesitant to report adverse vaccine reactions.

CLP Vice President Jed Hansen comments ‘disgraceful’: Natasha Fyles

LEADER of Government Business Natasha Fyles has labelled the opposition as being “in crisis” and questioned the whereabouts of CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro, after the party’s Vice President appeared at an anti-mandate protest last Saturday.

Jed Hansen claimed the CLP’s support of the vaccine mandate was “strategy” and, in an interview with the NT News on Tuesday, reiterated his stance.

Mr Hansen doubled down on his public questioning of vaccine side effects, despite earlier being reprimanded by CLP president Jamie Di Brenni after his first appearance.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Fyles said the comments from Mr Hansen were “disgraceful”.

“The CLP party president has tried to pull them into line unsuccessfully – they’ve doubled down on them,” she said.

The NT News has approached Mr Di Brenni for a response.

No regrets: CLP figure to attend further anti-mandate rallies

CLP Vice President Jed Hansen has denied he’s an anti-vaxxer but has vowed he’ll appear at future anti-mandate rallies.

Speaking to the NT News, Mr Hansen said party president Jamie Di Brenni spoke to him over the appearance his “personal opinion” was reflective of the attitudes of the wider CLP.

“It was a verbal reprimand, but it was more like, I could have phrased my wording better,” Mr Hansen said.

Mr Hansen appeared at a Worldwide Rally for Freedom at Darwin’s Esplanade on Saturday, where he said doctors in the NT were hesitant to report adverse reactions to the vaccine.

He doubled down on the claim to the NT News on Tuesday, saying he had seen 10 doctors about complications from his second dose of the vaccine.

He claimed he had been paralysed for 12 hours and had suffered tremors for months following the jab.

“I’ve had two doctors say that they would not be willing to put their name to anything, any documentation saying it was vaccine related,” Mr Hansen said.

Mr Hansen denied he was anti-vaccination.

“I do believe that vaccines save lives, absolutely, I’ve never questioned that,” he said.

“But I do have questions in regards to side effects.”

Mr Hansen said he was invited to speak at Saturday’s event and would attend future rallies.

Both CLP president Jamie Di Brenni and Deputy CLP leader Gerard Maley have distanced themselves from the comments.

A protester at the Worldwide Rally for Freedom in Darwin on Saturday. Picture: Thomas Morgan.

CLP Vice President Jed Hansen reprimanded after anti-mandate rally speech

CLP Vice President Jed Hansen has been “reprimanded” after speaking at an anti-vaccination mandate rally in Darwin on Saturday.

A video posted on social media shows Mr Hansen announce himself to the Worldwide Rally for Freedom crowd and then outline his opposition to vaccination mandates, at direct odds to the CLP’s official party position.

He appeared next to banners reading ‘Coercion Not Consent’ and ‘ABC complicit in genocide’.

“Currently I am the vice president of the CLP,” Mr Hansen said to the crowd.

“I know that the CLP strategy … the CLP point of view is that they all universally support the vaccine mandate.”

“I can absolutely tell you not everyone does because I do not.

“I never have.”

Mr Hansen said he had made his “position very clear to Lia” on mandatory vaccination.

Mr Hansen said he was “paralysed in bed” after his second dose and couldn’t walk for three days. He said he had “neurological problems” after the vaccine.

Jed Hansen Picture: Supplied

“I find it alarming and distressing to me that the doctors here are either being subject to political power … they can’t speak (to) what is actually happening.”

Mr Hansen claimed one in 200 people were having adverse reactions to the vaccine, and spoke about the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines “having less of an impact than previously estimated, and there’s actually more harm in the population of Israel”.

After the video surfaced, the NT News reached out to Mr Hansen for comment but was yet to hear a response.

The NT News understands he was verbally reprimanded by the party.

In a statement to the NT News, CLP president Jamie Di Brenni said Mr Hansen was “voicing his personal opinion”.

“He is entitled to (voice that opinion) but does not speak on behalf of the party. Only the president of the CLP has that authorisation,” Mr Di Brenni said.

“Mr Hansen has been reprimanded for breaking protocol.”

“The CLP is made up of members with diverse opinions which has always been our position as a broad grassroots, community driven party.”

Mr Hansen was not the only CLP politician at the anti-mandate rally on Saturday. The NT News interviewed CLP senator Sam McMahon at the gathering on the Esplanade, who said she did “sympathise with a lot of them”.

“I mean, I’m pro-vaccination, I’m fully vaccinated,” Senator McMahon said.

“But I do support people’s right not to be if that’s their choice.”

There are reports Senator McMahon is planning to defect from the CLP.

Deputy Opposition Leader Gerard Maley, who responded on behalf of his leader Ms Finocchiaro, said any comments made by Mr Hansen are “a matter for him”.

“We acknowledge the mandate has been divisive among Territorians but ultimately, the CLP is committed to following the best health advice. It’s a policy we took to the last election and we steadfastly stand by that commitment,” Mr Maley said.

“Following a briefing with the deputy chief health officer, who advised the Opposition that mandating the vaccine for certain workers is the best health advice, the CLP Opposition agreed to support the mandate.”

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Originally published as NT Labor calls on CLP to distance from Vice President Jed Hansen’s anti-mandate comments