Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of stoking "dangerous" division and playing "both sides of the fence" on COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
On Tuesday, Senator Lambie took aim at the prime minister, using the example of Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein's clear messaging during the coronavirus pandemic.
It followed the Tasmanian senator's fiery speech in parliament on Monday, slamming Pauline Hanson's One Nation for attempting to override state vaccine mandates.
“I think the states have done a great job and I’m really grateful especially in Tasmania, Peter Gutwein [has had a] 90 per cent success rate down there at the moment,” Senator Lambie told ABC Radio National on Tuesday morning.
“Everybody is loving him. He’s done the right thing ... He’s been very clear and precise every time he puts a message out there and that’s worked very, very well.
“And I suggest the Prime Minister do the same thing but he can’t play both sides of the fence. That is very dangerous and that is what is bringing division into this country."
The bill to ban vaccine mandates was eventually voted down on Monday, with Mr Morrison saying the government supported mandatory vaccines for health, aged care and disability workers where they are "working with vulnerable people", but not more broadly.
Senator Lambie called on Mr Morrison to be more decisive on the issue.
“Be solid, be a leader and show it," she said.
“[The Prime Minister] needs to show some leadership now. He needs to go out there and do that. And he’s running out of time.”
Senator Lambie also accused the five senators supporting One Nation’s push to remove vaccine mandates of “playing Russian roulette with people’s lives”.
“There’s nothing else we have on the front line that would give us a good chance of keeping our health intact,” she said.
“And I will not be like those people playing Russian roulette with people’s lives. I just will not do that.”
Five Coalition senators - Gerard Rennick, Alex Antic, Matt Canavan, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and Sam McMahon - crossed the floor on Monday in support of One Nation’s push to overturn state-based health orders that applied to unvaccinated workers in a range of industries.
The bill was rejected despite the support from the five senators.
