Former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet takes jab at Covid vaccine mandates in valedictory speech

In his valedictory speech former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has labelled Covid vaccine mandates ‘wrong’ for impeding on personal liberty and costing people their jobs.

After 13 years in NSW parliament, Dominic Perrottet gives his final speech and his farewelled and applauded by cross-party colleagues. Picture: John Appleyard

Former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has called status quo the real opposition to government while spruiking the “transformational agenda” of the administrations he served, as he criticised Covid vaccine mandates for impeding on personal liberty and costing people their jobs.

Speaking at his valedictory speech on Tuesday afternoon, he called the “strict enforcement” of mandates during the Covid pandemic the “one mistake” Australian governments got wrong during the health crisis.

Mr Perrottet, who will leave parliament this week after accepting a job in Washington with BHP, praised the “real team effort” during the pandemic – his decisions as premier to reopen the state have been lauded – but called the mandates “wrong”.

“While we didn’t get everything right, I believe we got more right than wrong,” he said.

“And without dwelling on every decision, I believe it’s important to point out one mistake which was made by governments here and around the world – the strict enforcement of vaccine mandates.”

Mr Perrottet said that while health officials and governments were acting with the “right intentions”, he believed the law should have “left more room and respect(ed) freedom”.

“Vaccines saved lives … but ultimately mandates were wrong,” he said, adding that personal choice “shouldn’t have cost” people their jobs.

Mr Perrottet delivers his speech to the chamber.

“If a pandemic comes again we need to get a better balance – encouraging people to take action while at the same time protecting people’s fundamental liberty.”

The former premier did praise his relationship with his then Victorian counterpart Dan Andrews – who he referred to as “Dictator Dan” while calling himself “Domicron” – and said the interstate collaboration during that period should be replicated in the future.

Mr Perrottet’s address, which was watched by a packed public gallery including wife Helen and six of their seven children, former prime minister Paul Keating, one-time Liberal premier Mike Baird and Labor heavyweight Graeme Richardson, reflected on a 13-year career in Macquarie St and called for parliament to become a contest of ideas.

“The lifeblood of politics is imagination and ideas,” he said.

“The real opposition in government is not ‘the opposition’, it’s the status quo.”

Describing himself as the “political love child” of ex-prime minister John Howard and Mr Keating, Mr Perrottet called the former a “constant source of wisdom” and thanked the latter for helping him realise the “power of imagination in politics”.

“He also once said to me ‘Dom, I had to teach my bastards to care about money. And you need to teach your bastards to care about people,’” the former premier said.

Mr Perrottet became the youngest premier in NSW history when the then-39-year-old secured the Liberal Party leadership following the sudden 2021 resignation of Gladys Berejiklian.

His retirement from politics comes weeks after his government’s treasurer, Matt Kean, also resigned to take up a role with the federal government’s Climate Change Authority. It is likely by-elections in their respective seats of Epping and Hornsby will be held across the same weekend, possibly next month.

Former prime minister Paul Keating watches in the public gallery. Picture: John Appleyard

Concluding his speech, and political career, including most recently leading the state, Mr Perrottet said: “Politics is about winning the future – and you do that by having ideas.

“May the best ideas win.”