Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today the Queensland Supreme Court ruled vaccine mandates for Queensland's emergency services workers to be unlawful. What a victory for the Australian people! It's a victory that reaffirms the need for a full royal commission into Australia's response to COVID. Everyday Australians have lost trust in governments at both state and federal levels, and we've lost trust in health authorities. Recommendation 17 of the report of the Select Committee on COVID-19 stated 'a royal commission be established to examine Australia's response to the COVID-19'. That was two years ago. During his election campaign Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised the Australian people to hold a COVID royal commission. He and Minister Gallagher, who chaired the committee, have both broken their promises. Appearing to have something to hide looks terrible for the government. It is terrible for the government. The public realise that our Prime Minister and his administration cannot be trusted to keep their word.

Today's Queensland Supreme Court ruling is encouraging for everyday Australians who've lost their source of income. Businesses were forced to lay off their staff unless they complied with the draconian policies, and many industries are still suffering the consequences of having to fire unvaccinated staff. Our nurses, teachers, police, firefighters and paramedics, along with other Australians, deserve to know where things went wrong and why the government turned against them. One simple green tick was the difference in being able to attend school, go to work, move around, socialise and exercise—one green tick that took our rights to freedom, life, privacy and movement. The Prime Minister must now realise that, if he takes these things from the people, trust goes with them.

The Albanese government must restore trust and commit to a royal commission now, to commence as soon as the current inquiry into appropriate terms of reference defines those terms. The Queensland Supreme Court said there was an abuse of process and that they did not consider the loss of human rights fundamental to Australian democracy.