'But as the impact on transmission of vaccines was limited at best, as is now mostly accepted, the law should have left more room for respect of freedom', the former NSW premier said in parliament during his valedictory speech in August, 2024.
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00:00And without dwelling on every decision we got wrong, I believe it's important to point out
00:06one mistake which was made by governments here and around the world, and that was the strict
00:12enforcement of vaccine mandates. Health officials and governments were acting with the right
00:17intentions to stop the spread. But if the impact of vaccines on transmission was limited at best,
00:24as is now mostly accepted, the law should have left more room for respect of freedom.
00:30Vaccines saved lives, but ultimately mandates were wrong. People's personal choices shouldn't
00:37have cost them their jobs. When I became Premier, we removed them, or the ones we actually could,
00:43but this should have happened faster. And if a pandemic comes again, we need to get a better
00:48balance. Encouraging people to take action, whilst at the same time protecting people's
00:53fundamental liberty.