On the last scheduled day of the Senate last year, the Labor Government rammed through changes to industrial relations law. They claimed these laws would help workers get higher wages and solve the cost of living crisis. In truth, they simply gave the unions more power and will do nothing to increase people’s incomes.
However, the legislation did allow myself and some other Senators to support real workers’ rights. Senator Malcolm Roberts moved an amendment to make it illegal for an employer to sack or to not employ someone based on their COVID vaccine status. We lost the vote because both major parties, and the Greens, voted against the amendment.
I feel so strongly about workers’ rights that I crossed the floor, against my party’s wishes. The Liberal National Party allow its members to vote with their conscience. In the Labor party you are kicked out if you do not toe the line. Four of the six votes to remove vaccine mandates came from LNP Senators.
I crossed the floor because I believe every person has a fundamental right to work for a living. Mandates take away that right without good reason. Mandates did not work. Last year Australia had more than 10 million coronavirus cases with more than 90 per cent of the population vaccinated.
The vaccine may have helped older Australians and the vulnerable but there was never any evidence that it stopped transmission. Indeed, Pfizer has admitted to the European Parliament that it did not test whether the vaccine stopped transmission.
And if the vaccine did not stop transmission there was never any justification to force others to get it. We used to live in a free country but our freedoms were over ridden by fear because of COVID.
Although we lost the vote, the debate was telling. A year before this vote, I had also crossed the floor against vaccine mandates. In late 2021, other Senators called us anti-vaxxers, we were anti-science, spreading misinformation and it was implied that we were risking lives.
This time, a year on, not a single Senator rose to defend vaccine mandates or argue against our amendment. Senator Hanson Young from the Greens moved a motion to gag further debate, which was supported by the Senate. While a majority of the Senate continued to vote in favour of vaccine mandates, not a single one could bring themselves to defend such a policy.
The pro-vaccine mandate crowd effectively threw in the white towel. The so-called anti-vaxxers had won the debate even if we did not win the vote.
Thankfully most COVID mandates have ended but some still exist. State Governments continue to enforce them in hospitals. I am sure Gladstone would take some obstetricians right now even if they were unvaccinated.
Major retail chains have vaccine mandates. BHP continues to enforce vaccine mandates in our region, although it has been reported this week that they are finally considering reversing this policy.
There is absolutely no evidence for the continuation of vaccine mandates. And the Fair Work Commission should get involved. Any business that sacks someone for not getting a coronavirus vaccine now should be guilty of unfair dismissal.
