Scott Morrison faces Senate revolt over Pauline Hanson bill

Scott Morrison has faced a revolt on the floor of Parliament thanks to a vote in support of Pauline Hanson’s anti-vaccination mandate bill

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced a revolt on the floor of Parliament with five senators breaking ranks to vote with One Nation in support of Pauline Hanson’s anti-vaccination mandate bill.

Senator Hanson — who is unvaccinated — has warned the Mr Morrison that she will cause “havoc” over his legislative agenda this week including in relation to new religious freedom laws and reforms to demand voters provide ID when they vote.

“The Prime Minister is weak, he says there should be no vaccine mandates - then do something about it,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced a revolt on the floor of Parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Shortly after 11am, NSW Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Northern Territory Senator Sam McMahon, Queensland’s Matt Canavan and Gerard Rennick and South Australia’s Alex Antic all voted with One Nation.

But the bill was defeated, five votes to 44 in the Senate. The result only included the votes of Coalition MPs who voted with One Nation, because Senator Hanson and her colleague Malcolm Roberts were voting remotely.

Senator Pauline Hanson via video link and Senator Matt Canavan in the Senate Chamber in Parliament House Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The vote followed warnings from Senator Hanson that the vaccines were “experimental” and governments had “no right to take away the right to choose.

“This legislation is urgently needed to arrest and reverse the pandemic of discrimination that has been unleashed on the Australian people,” she said.

“People have a right to choose whether they want to have this vaccination or not. What is the country coming to? If you allow the premiers to have these powers what will be next? This could lead to anything.”

Speaking in Canberra shortly after the vote, the Prime Minister said MPs had a right to vote with their conscience on the matter.

”The Liberal Party and the National Party, we do not run it as an autocracy,’’ he said.

”We don’t take people out of our party if we happen to disagree on an issue they feel strongly.

“The Government opposed the bill and the bill has not been successful. We do not agree with the measures that were in the bill, which would indeed threaten funding for hospitals and schools for states. I respect the fact that individual members will express a view and vote accordingly.”

More to come