‘Not putting that in my body’: Pauline Hanson’s Covid vaccine spray

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has insisted she’s “not anti-vaxxer” – while saying she refuses to get vaccinated against Covid.

Federal One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has told a crowd of “pro-choice” business owners she has no intention of getting vaccinated against Covid-19, saying she is “not putting that s*** in my body”.

Senator Hanson was a guest speaker at a “businesses for choice” event in Ipswich on Thursday night. The group behind the forum describes itself as wanting to “support like-minded patriotic and conservative representatives, irrespective of party affiliation”.

In her remarks, Ms Hanson said she would not listen to bureaucrats, the United Nations or the World Health Organisation “pushing their own agenda” to “take away my freedom”.

However she insisted she was “not an anti-vaxxer”.

Pauline Hanson. Picture: Peter Lorimer/NCA NewsWire

The vast majority of Australians have chosen to get vaccinated against Covid, with Ms Hanson’s own state Queensland passing its 80 per cent double-vaxxed threshold this week. At the national level, 93 per cent of Australians over the age of 16 have received at least one dose and 89 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Being vaccinated reduces your risk of catching Covid, and greatly reduces the threat of serious illness, hospitalisation and death. It also makes you less likely to transmit the virus to others.

Serious side effects from any of the Covid vaccines are extremely rare.

“I’ll tell you honestly: I haven’t had the jab, I don’t intend to have the jab, I’m not putting that s*** in my body,” Ms Hanson said in footage obtained by Channel 9.

The crowd responded with applause.

“I’ve taken that stance and that is my choice,” she continued.

“I’m not an anti-vaxxer, but I am very careful what I put into my body. I felt that I’ve kept pretty good health all my life, and I intend to keep it that way.

“I don’t intend to listen to bureaucrats or politicians, or UN or WHO pushing their own agenda and take away my freedoms, my rights, my choices when that’s why I’m fighting this issue and so should you.”

Ms Hanson told the crowd she had no intention of getting vaccinated against Covid. Picture: Twitter/@9newsqueensland.

Ms Hanson last month attempted to introduce a private members bill seeking to ban mandatory vaccinations and overturn state and territory leaders’ requirements for full vaccination to be required in some settings.

“You might not agree with the choices that people make, but that doesn’t mean the right to choose should be stolen from them,” she argued at the time.

“What is our country coming to?”

She said vaccine mandates were “a pandemic of discrimination”.

The bill, which was eventually voted against by an overwhelming majority, was seconded by Nationals senator Matt Canavan and supported by Liberal Gerard Rennick. Mr Rennick and his colleague Alex Antic crossed the floor to support the bill.

“Politicians should not be holding people to ransom,” Mr Rennick said.

Ms Hanson’s bill was the catalyst for a furious blow-up from fellow crossbencher Jacqui Lambie, who urged Australians opposed to mandates to cop the consequences of their own decisions.

“If you get behind the wheel of a car and drive twice the speed limit, you are putting other people’s lives at risk. You don’t have the right to do that,” Ms Lambie argued.

“You are not being discriminated against. If you choose to do something that puts other people’s lives at risk, you will be held accountable for that.

“People who don’t get the vaccine have a choice. We all get a choice. You’re making a choice that means you’re more likely to get Covid and spread it. That is your choice, that is your right.

“Having the freedom to choose isn’t the same as having the freedom to avoid the consequences of that choice. You have freedom to make a choice, but if you make a choice, those choices have consequences.

“Being held accountable for your own actions isn’t called discrimination, it’s called being – you wouldn’t believe it – a goddamn bloody adult.”

– with NCA NewsWire