Ben Small (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It might come as a galloping shock to those who sit opposite and come here to say that somehow the Prime Minister's agenda is being held hostage in this chamber, but the contrast couldn't be more stark from a team that has no agenda whatsoever. We've heard today claims that the Prime Minister has a vague or somehow unclear position. Again, the contrast with the Leader of the Opposition—who likes to have an each way bet on every issue before this parliament—couldn't be starker.

What we have is a government led by a Prime Minister committed to delivering for Australians, the same Australians that sent us here last election to deliver for them and to keep government from intruding into their homes, into their lives, and into their businesses to the extent that those opposite would have us do. The Commonwealth's position is abundantly clear, and it has been since before COVID-19 was even a thing. The Commonwealth's position is that vaccine, on the whole, should be voluntary and free, strongly encouraged and only mandatory in a high-risk setting.

Mandatory vaccination of workers is appropriate and is proportionate for those workers in specified high-risk settings such as residential aged care or disability care, because of the impact on the most vulnerable of Australians. That's why, leading the charge, the federal government did take that initiative. Some states and territories—particularly, it has to be remarked, those led by Labor premiers—have issued far-ranging public health orders that require COVID-19 vaccination for people working in many other workplaces and sectors and some community settings. I totally support the Morrison government in standing up for vaccination, to reduce the risk of serious ill health or even death in the advent of catching this disease. It must be noted that ultimately it is the state premiers who have issued the public health orders that require mandatory vaccines in a wide range of settings. The implementation of those mandates—those that mandate I guess differential treatment of vaccinated persons—is entirely at the discretion of those particular states and territories which have done so.

The reality is that most Australians have supported the vaccine rollout. Over many months we heard howls and hyperbole in here from those opposite about the vaccine rollout, but now that Australia is leading the charge with vaccine rates that are the envy of the world, with death rates that are the envy of the world and with an economy that is the envy of the world, those opposite have decided to move on to another baselessly shameful scare campaign that seeks to undermine confidence in Australia's health management of this pandemic and our economic recovery as we move into a post-COVID world.

The reality couldn't be clearer. Australians have rolled up their sleeves like never before to get the COVID vaccine. The federal government has been very clear that those vaccines will be free, will be voluntary, in most cases other than those specific high-risk settings. It is indeed the states and territories which have taken it further with their mandates. Overwhelmingly those mandates are most severe, most intrusive and most invasive in people's lives where they are led by a Labor government and a Labor premier.

The Labor senators sitting opposite here have very little to say, but when it comes to the Prime Minister's remarks—grossly misrepresented by those same Labor senators here today—that he understood that Australians were sick of government getting up in their grill and inserting itself into their families, their homes and their businesses I'm reminded of Ronald Reagan's great expression that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' I think that represents our great Liberal faith in those Australians knowing what is best for them living in their homes and working in their businesses—not those sitting in buildings here in Canberra.