Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of this urgency motion because I simply cannot fathom that members of the Morrison-Joyce government are seemingly green-lit to parade around the country undermining public health advice in the middle of a deadly pandemic. Last Sunday, which was just two days before South Australians are due, in a nervous fashion, to throw open our doors to the nation, we had a member of this chamber addressing the Adelaide anti-vax rally. What parallel universe are we in when someone elected to represent the people of South Australia—with all the inherent responsibilities that that entails and which have been borne out through this debate today—is addressing a rally conceived to undermine a public health message and a public health response to a deadly disease that has killed five million people worldwide? Should Senator Antic and other coalition members spreading this misinformation about the virus be reined in? Of course they should! But will they be? I can't see it. I can't see the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister doing anything about this. They are allowing senators from this chamber to spread misinformation, to support anti-science, anti-vax rallies like the one we saw in Adelaide on the weekend.

It suits the government to have a bob each way—partly supporting people who believe in science, partly supporting people who don't. The conspiracy theorists, the right-wing nutjobs and the social media medics are out there pushing this line, and it's being supported by members of this chamber. It suits the Prime Minister to have those on the far Right of his party out there talking to the fringe while keeping his own hands clean so he can gather their preferences whenever the next election is held. We see this sort of doublespeak quite a lot with the Prime Minister and his government. In normal circumstances, it's annoying and it's pathetic, and it's always disappointing. But when we're dealing with a deadly pandemic that threatens the lives of vulnerable people and those who are immunodeficient, it is reckless beyond belief and it lacks the leadership that we should demand in this country. On the very same day that we had coalition MPs and senators addressing anti-vax rallies around this country, we learnt that a young Victorian child under the age of 10 was killed by this disease. To protect our community, we all have to do our part.

The nation, including my home state of South Australia, is screaming out for leadership, and what do they get? From Senator Antic, they get a tacit nod to misinformation and to anti-science, reactionary, right-wing politics. As I said earlier, it suits the Prime Minister's interest to have a bob each way on the serious issue of public health. From the get-go, the government's response to the pandemic has been marked by mixed messages, indecision and blatant misinformation. Instead of unequivocally calling out the disgusting threats to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made at anti-vax rallies in Melbourne in recent times, the Prime Minister has said he understands protesters' concerns. Instead of urging those who are holding out on getting vaccinated to not be influenced by the hateful campaigns from the anti-vaxxers, he says he understands their concerns. Well, their concerns have no basis in scientific fact, and their concerns are being driven through our communities and are discouraging people from getting vaccinated, which then places the community at risk.

Time and time again, this government have failed to call out the misinformation and extreme elements from within our community because doing so might lose them a few of Pauline Hanson's or Clive Palmer's preferences. Australians are not stupid. They are awake to the doublespeak, to the dog whistling and to the government that cares little for anything but its own sorry political survival. We must ensure that we provide accurate health advice, fight against disinformation campaigns and protect our communities. This is a deadly disease. Herd immunity is a useful tool in fighting these diseases. It helps us protect those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and helps us keep our communities safe.

Question agreed to.