Jacqui Lambie reveals position on mandatory face masks

Jacqui Lambie has revealed her position on mask mandates after telling Australians to put their ‘big girl pants’ on over the issue.

Jacqui Lambie says she doesn’t support mandating face masks but Australians should “put their big girl pants on” and wear them because it’s “the right thing to do”.

The outspoken Tasmanian Senator, who appeared on breakfast TV on Thursday dressed as a Christmas elf, said people should treat masks like they treat their underwear – as an essential part of their everyday wardrobe.

“If you’re going to put your underpants on every morning, grab your mask,” she told Channel 9.

“I think people should put their big girl pants on and do the right thing by the health workers, their family, their friends and, at Christmas time, for goodness sake, make it part of your daily clothing change and put your mask on when you walk outside.

“I don’t think it should be mandated. You should do it because it is the right thing to do.”

Jacqui Lambie, dressed as a Christmas elf, says people should wear face masks but they shouldn't be mandatory. Picture: Today

The reintroduction of face mask mandates has become a flashpoint in the past week with the Omicron variant fuelling thousands of daily cases but some governments resisting ramping up restrictions.

Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly encouraged people to wear a mask when indoors, which he said was an easy step to protect the community.

“It protects you and it protects the people around you. I am already putting my mask on wherever I go. It’s a simple defence that can help us all,” he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said masks are “highly recommended” indoors but mandates are a matter for states and territories.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly has urged people to wear masks. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Mr Morrison, who has been urging people to take “personal responsibility” for Covid-19 safety measures, compared putting on a mask to wearing a hat and sunscreen in summer.

“In the same way as we go into the summer season, people will be slapping on the hat and slapping on the sunscreen,” he said on Wednesday.

“There’s no rule or requirement to do that, but it is strongly recommended health advice … It’s in the same category.”

Mask rules vary across the country and the premiers and chief ministers failed to reach a consensus at their national cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino is expected to announce later on Thursday whether the indoor face mask mandate will be expanded.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is refusing to reintroduce mandatory face masks, taking a similar stance to the federal coalition on “personal responsibility”.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant has urged people to wear them indoors.

Employment Minister Stuart Robert has stood by the federal government’s messaging on ‘personal responsibility’. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Asked if she thought Australia’s Covid-19 response remained a “mish mash of different policies”, Senator Lambie said she’d hoped the premiers would come together because of “the Christmas spirit”.

“I think the problem is we’re running on a very different health system. We know what ours is like in Tasmania,” she said.

“For those premiers, they need to make their own decisions, depending on whether they've got the workforce to cater for this, whatever else is going on.”

Appearing on Today with Senator Lambie, Employment Minister Stuart Robert said the ultimate responsibility for health lay with the state premiers.

“We want less government in our lives now but we also want Australians to do the right thing,” he said.

Originally published as Jacqui Lambie reveals position on mandatory face masks