Pauline Hanson has been slammed for making “irresponsible and dangerous” views about Covid-19 and demanding a royal commission into the country’s pandemic response.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath tore into the One Nation leader during a press conference on Sunday.
Ms D’Ath also took aim at anti-vaccine conspiracy theories being spread by coalition government MPs and senators.
Speaking to an online anti-vaccine mandate event, Senator Hanson claimed Australians had been “lied to” about how many people had died during the pandemic.
“I’m going to stand on a platform that I believe that we need a royal commission into Covid and the way it was handled,” she said.
“We’ve had premiers, health professionals and other people that have just bumbled their way through this.
“They haven’t been truthful with the public and it means we need to have answers to this.”
Ms D’Ath was quizzed about the royal commission calls at a press conference in Brisbane, where she slammed Senator Hanson and other “anti-vaccination elected officials”.
“Maybe they should have a royal commission into the number of elected with anti-vax sentiment and what damage that’s done in people coming out and getting vaccinated and believing these false truths out there about the safety of vaccines and about whether Covid is real and where it’s come from,” she told reporters.
“I’m just appalled by that.”
Ms D’Ath said coalition backbenchers in both houses of federal parliament had done “so much damage” to Australia‘s pandemic response.
“They have a lot to answer for,” she said.
Ms D’Ath also took aim at the Morrison government’s Covid-19 messaging, claiming some of its members had been undermined mandatory vaccination orders.
Ms D’Ath said politicians who have claimed “segregation” stemming from vaccine mandates were “irresponsible and disgusting”.
“Can I also say personally, Scott Morrison’s ‘so-called’ admonishment of George Christensen the other day was an absolute joke … just to ask him to stop,” Ms D’Ath said.
“George Christensen has been doing this for months and months, so have others.”
“To the Morison government, it’s time to take responsibility. So if they want to do an inquiry into that, I am happy to contribute.”
The online event was hosted by former Hillsong pastor and self-styled “millionaire coach” Pat Mesiti, who addressed the audience from his Gold Coast home in front of a digital Australian flag.
Senator Hanson, who has been an outspoken critic of vaccine mandates throughout the pandexjmtzywmic, said she and fellow One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts would continue to block government legislation when parliament resumed.
“We’re not going to vote for government legislation until they deal with the states, the premiers, the way they’re dealing with Covid and keeping families apart,” she said.
