A petition signed by more than 200,000 Australians calling on Parliament to pass legislation stopping COVID-19 vaccine discrimination was today tabled in the Senate by One Nation.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said the Australian people had spoken in overwhelming numbers in support of her legislation.

“Senators will ignore the growing opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates at their peril,” Senator Hanson said.

“Our petition has collected more than 200,000 signatures in just 22 days. Many who signed it are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. An increasing number of Australians are not buying the false narrative that opposition to vaccine coercion and discrimination is confined to anti-vaccine extremists.

“They understand this is about something far more important: key democratic principles like freedom of speech, individual autonomy and the right to choose our own fate are being torn down by increasingly authoritarian state and territory governments.”

“The cabal which has plotted to block our legislation from referral to a parliamentary inquiry – twice now – have sent a clear message: the Australian people must be silenced and prevented from voicing opposition to vaccine coercion and discrimination.

“The other message is that this cabal of senators – including so-called ‘independents’ on the crossbench – is very frightened about what the Australian people might tell them. They’re afraid that when the people speak, their false narrative that everyone opposed to vaccine coercion and discrimination is anti-vax extremist will be exposed for the lie that it is.

“It’s not the job of the Senate to silence the Australian people. It’s the job of the Senate to listen to the Australian people and do what they tell us. As senators, we’re not dictators; we’re servants. Australians overwhelmingly want the opportunity to express their opposition to vaccine coercion and discrimination to a parliamentary inquiry, and want my legislation passed to protect fundamental principles of Australian democracy.”

ENDS