Tanya Plibersek, Craig Kelly in corridor clash over virus
Tanya Plibersek has confronted Craig Kelly in Parliament House over his controversial views on COVID-19 | WATCH
Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek has clashed with Liberal MP Craig Kelly in the halls of Parliament House over his views on COVID-19.
On Tuesday, Labor attempted to suspend standing orders to condemn comments made by Mr Kelly about the coronavirus. Labor said his views about the virus were “irresponsible” and “dangerous” and undermined the public health response.
Mr Kelly has featured on a podcast hosted by former celebrity chef and COVID conspiracist Pete Evans.
In the press gallery, Ms Plibersek confronted Mr Kelly and told him: “My mum lives in your electorate and I don’t want her exposed to people who are not going to be vaccinated because of these crazy conspiracy theories that you’re spreading,”
She added: “So you’re saying the Prime Minister is wrong?”
Mr Kelly responded: “Listen to the words of our most senior immunologist (Robert Clancy)… He has said in the Sydney Morning Herald today, Craig Kelly is absolutely right.”
Mr Kelly has touted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, despite the Therapeutic Goods Administration “strongly discouraging” its use on patients, and questioned the effectiveness of masks.
During the Coalition’s party room on Tuesday, Mr Kelly quoted literature by Professor Clancy, a respected immunologist, who said he did not agree with all the views of Mr Kelly but noted he was correct on hydroxychloroquine.
Professor Clancy is an Emeritus Professor of Biology at the University of Newcastle who was admitted as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2005. A pioneer in the field of mucosal immunology, he’s known for his research and development of therapies for emphysema.
Professor Clancy has told Nine newspapers there was evidence that hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin had been shown to be safe treatments for the virus.
Ms Plibersek, a possible future Labor leadership contender, reiterated Labor’s calls for the Coalition to condemn Mr Kelly’s views and social media posts on misinformation about COVID.
“It’s beyond time the Prime Minister told Craig Kelly to just shut up,” she said.
“We’re spending $24 million dollars on a campaign to tell people to get vaccinated and we’ve got a taxpayer funded nong running around and telling people not to. He needs to shut up and if the Prime Minister had any spine he would tell him to do so.”
Mr Kelly also defended appearing on the podcast hosted by Pete Evans who had his Facebook page removed last year for repeatedly sharing misinformation about the coronavirus, including telling people to not get tested for the virus.
“If anyone watched it, I said, Peter, I disagree with your views.”
Mr Kelly also warned against what he described as a “cancel society culture.”
“I believe in a free democracy.... I disagree with many things the ABC say. I find things the ABC put to air abhorrent but that doesn’t mean I won’t go and be interviewed by the ABC,” he said.
Mr Kelly said Mr Evans had said “very silly things” but had apologised for them.
Scott Morrison on Wednesday hauled Mr Kelly into his office and ordered him to stop pushing unproven COVID treatments and spreading disinformation about coronavirus.
In a 30 minute face to face meeting, the Prime Minister told Mr Kelly to stop pushing COVID information contrary to the government’s health advice and restrict his social media presence.
Government sources told The Australian that Mr Morrison told Mr Kelly he did not agree with his COVID views and that he should be focusing on serving his constituents in the seat of Hughes.
Mr Kelly has agreed to stop posting COVID information on social media and stick to the government’s message on vaccines and treatments.
Asked about the views promoted by Mr Kelly at his Press Club speech on Tuesday, Mr Morrison replied “he’s not my doctor and he’s not yours” and said the MP was doing a “great job” in his electorate of Hughes in Sydney.
On Tuesday, Mr Kelly told The Australian people need to weigh all the evidence before they take a coronavirus vaccine and will not commit to getting an anti-COVID jab himself.
Labor is targeting Mr Kelly over a host of controversial comments on unproven treatments for coronavirus, attacks on government medical officers, and his recent podcast interview with conspiracy theorist and television chef Pete Evans.
Mr Kelly said he was not anti-vaccination and disagreed with Mr Evans on the safety of COVID jabs, but he would not commit to supporting government calls to vaccinate as many Australians as possible.
“I’ve made that clear in discussions with Pete and on my Facebook posts that I’m not (anti-vaccination). I want to expand coronavirus treatments, not limit them,” he said.
“On getting a vaccine, I’m going to tell people to make up their own mind. The government has not made it mandatory.
“I’ll look at all the evidence and make up my own mind when it comes to taking the vaccine myself.”
After Labor attempted to suspend standing orders, Mr Kelly spoke to Scott Morrison on the phone, prior to Question Time, on Tuesday. He said he told the Prime Minister he was not an anti-vaxxer and supported the government’s vaccine rollout.
“He wanted to hear those words from my mouth so when he went into parliament if the question came up he could say I have spoken to Craig Kelly.
“He did exactly the right thing by calling me to clarify my position so he had it from my mouth.”
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