One Nation MLC Ben Dawkins defends controversial Port Hedland Councillor Adrian McRae in State senate

Port Hedland’s vaccine debate has made its way to the WA Parliament after the Premier urged Port Hedland Cr Adrian McRae to resign over his comments on Russian State media and COVID-19 jabs. On October 24, One Nation MLC Ben Dawkins labelled Roger Cook’s comments to Port Hedland Cr McRae “totally idiotic” and “unhinged”. “The honourable Roger Cook has become desperate and irrational as he seeks to avoid scrutiny of his role as health minister during the COVID years,” he said. “Roger Cook has dismissed the concerns of Port Hedland residents and others as a silly ideological debate. That in itself should render the Premier unfit to be re-elected or to even run for re-election as Premier.” The One Nation senator also urged the Premier to “stand aside”. “If he can’t launch an independent inquiry and go to the next election on the basis of being transparent and open to scrutiny for his role during the COVID years, then he should resign,” Mr Dawkins said. Firing back, Labor MLC Sally Talbot said Mr Dawkins’ comments were “dangerous lies and misinformation”. “This is actually putting people’s lives at risk, and it has to stop,” she said. “It is absolutely unbelievable that a member of this Parliament thinks that they can use this place as a platform to spread the kind of misinformation and completely unfounded allegations about a program that saved millions of lives worldwide. “These are people who think that evidence comes from social media, from talkback callers, from what people said to you in the queue at the bakers. They think that is what constitutes scientific evidence. “This is very, very dangerous stuff for this member of Parliament to come in here and use his position, which people will perceive as being a voice of authority, to spread these kind of dangerous lies.” Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis also called a point of order over Senator Dawkins’ use of the term “peanut gallery”, which has racial connotations. “I withdraw that term. I had no idea that there was any such connotation and I apologise for any offence I may have caused to the agriculture minister,” Mr Dawkins said. A spokesperson from Roger Cook’s office said the Premier stood behind his comments about Cr McRae. It comes as a Goldfields resident, Karissa Zappelli, requested the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council to follow Port Hedland’s example in calling for the immediate suspension of COVID-19 vaccines. The call was shot down by mayor Glenn Wilson on October 28. In late October, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration rubbished the claims made by Canadian virologist Dr David Speicher and promoted by Cr Adrian McRae.