Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, as I said, these are state and territory mandates. They differ across different states and territories. They're decisions taken under the constitutional powers of the states and territories through their public health and emergency orders, using state and territory laws.

We're not in the business of routinely seeking to override all state and territory laws and powers or to be the arbiter of what is right or wrong in every state and territory. They have to stand and account for themselves. They are each democratically elected governments. They each have an opposition and other political representatives in their state or territory, and those are the right places to debate the laws and approaches of those states or territories.

Our government has taken a different approach. We have not believed that widespread mandates are necessary except in the most exceptional of circumstances. We've been clear and consistent about that, and our encouragement of Australians to voluntarily get vaccinated has helped to achieve some of the best vaccine outcomes in the world, which is helping to keep Australia safe. (Time expired)