MPs cross the floor in parliament in support of motion questioning vaccine effectiveness
Two MPs have created a headache for Scott Morrison after they crossed the floor in support of a motion that questioned Covid vaccines
Scott Morrison is facing another vaccine rebellion after two government MPs crossed the floor to support a motion railing against vaccine mandates.
Rebel Liberal-Nationals MPs George Christensen and Llew O’Brien supported the motion from former Liberal and now independent MP Craig Kelly.
In the second rebellion in a week, the LNP MPs voted in support of Mr Kelly after he moved a motion claiming vaccines had “zero long term safety data.”
The latest outbreak is likely to increase the pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to rein in those on government benches promoting vaccine hesitancy.
Mr Kelly told parliament the vaccines should only be administered with the free and informed consent of the person undergoing the medical intervention.
‘Experimental vaccine’ claim
“Australians shouldn’t have been placed in a situation where they’re coerced into undertaking any medical intervention with the threat of being sacked from their job,’’ Mr Kelly said.
“For Australians to be injected with an experimental vaccine violates basic human rights. Thousands of Australians, including nurses, police officers, airline pilots, teachers, truck drivers, disability workers, charity workers, all the staff, etc. have already been thrown out of their jobs and denied the freedom to pursue their career of choice for not submitting to be injected with an experimental, provisionally approved substance that has no long term safety. “Such mandates are based upon the marketing literature of the vaccine sellers (and) superstition.”
Speaking in support of the motion, LNP MP George Christensen said vaccine mandates were an attack on freedom and were “medical segregation”.
“I know of small business owners, cafe owners … who are going to have to shut their doors and perhaps even go bankrupt,’’ he said.
It’s by no means the first rebellion in the ranks for Scott Morrison.
Last week, Tasmanian MP Bridget Archer also crossed the floor to back a motion by an independent, in this case on the establishment of an integrity commission last week.
She called on the Prime Minister to act on and consider working with independents to find a solution.
“We should do it now and we should be prepared to collaborate with other parties to achieve something,” she said.
She also revealed that she burst into tears after she was taken to the Prime Minister’s office to discuss her decision to cross the floor this week despite repeatedly telling his staff she wanted to delay the discussion.
While Scott Morrison described the talks as “friendly”, Ms Archer said she was ambushed by the meeting and had earlier asked to delay it.
“I didn’t feel like I was being marched to the principal’s office. I just felt a little disappointed that it happened when I had expressed to the Prime Minister’s office that I would have preferred, that my preference was not at that time,” she told news.com.au.
“They sent me a message saying he wanted to see me at 12.15pm. I said I am not ready. I need a break.
“It was a big thing. It was just the emotion of the moment.”
Ms Archer is a child sexual assault survivor who this week voted with independent MP Helen Haines to suspend standing orders to establish an anti-corruption commission.
She said she understood why Mr Morrison wanted to speak to her but would have preferred to have had the conversation at a time of her choosing.
“I have found this year incredibly difficult, personally because of my own history as a child sexual abuse survivor,” she said.
“It has been difficult for me to sit with discipline in unity with all this going on around me and it has hurt me. It has hurt me.
“But I am not weak. I’m telling you that I don’t think that some of these things are the right way forward.”
After she was photographed this week weeping on the floor of parliament during a vote on the integrity commission debate with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Labor MPs rushed to suggest she was being intimidated in the photograph.
She publicly rejected that claim, revealing Mr Frydenberg was simply checking on her welfare after she became teary on the floor of parliament.
However, she also revealed he took her to the Prime Minister’s office, despite her requests to the PM’s staff to delay the meeting.
Iconic fish market hits back at collapse claim
An iconic Aussie fish market has hit back at stark claims it could be falling into insolvency, stating bluntly it is ‘business as usual’.
PM’s embarrassing cafe moment
An awkward video has resurfaced of the moment Anthony Albanese was brutally rebuffed by a barista in a popular cafe.
‘Failing’: Dutton’s call after nurse video
A NSW nurse fired for anti-Semitic comments is facing calls for his Australian citizenship to be stripped after it was revealed he was originally from Afghanistan.