Former NSW Premier Concedes COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Were a Mistake in Farewell Speech

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet arrives for a Covid-19 update in Sydney, Australia on Jan. 21, 2022. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Former New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet has admitted COVID-19 vaccine mandates were a mistake in his valedictory speech to parliament.

Perrottet formally announced his resignation from NSW Parliament on July 19 after 13 years of public service and will now embark on a private sector career in the United States.

In his speech, the ex-premier acknowledged that while the intentions behind the mandates were to curb the spread of the virus, their impact on transmission was limited.

“While we did not get everything right, I believe we got more right than wrong. And, without dwelling on every decision we got wrong, I believe it is important to point out one mistake which was made by governments here and around the world. That was the strict enforcement of vaccine mandates,” Perrottet said in the NSW Legislative Assembly.

“Health officials and governments were acting with the right intentions to stop the spread, but if the impact of vaccines on transmission was limited at best, as it is now mostly accepted, the law should have left more room for respect of freedom.”

Perrottet, who served in the top job from Oct. 5, 2021, to March 28, 2023, was Deputy Premier and Treasurer when NSW Health introduced mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for all healthcare workers.

Perrottet said COVID was both a health and economic crisis. He shared his firsthand experience of the double‑edged sword created by government policy, which still impacts the state today.

He credited former Premier Gladys Berejiklian for fostering an environment where senior ministers could discuss and debate the state’s response from various perspectives during daily crisis Cabinet meetings.

“This approach helped New South Wales address the health needs of our people while remaining more open and more free than other States. As hard and as challenging as that period was, it was incredibly rewarding to work alongside such dedicated ministers and public servants,” he said.

“Whilst we did not always agree and, in fact, often disagreed—Brad—everyone’s perspective was fairly considered and I believe that led New South Wales to having one of the strongest responses not just in the country but globally.”

Berejiklian was Premier at the time vaccine mandates were introduced for healthcare workers, aged care workers, and construction workers, from August 2021.

Perrottet noted that when he became premier he eliminated the vaccine mandates he could, but admitted this should have happened quicker.

“Vaccines saved lives but ultimately mandates were wrong. People’s personal choices should not have cost them their jobs,” he said.

“When I became Premier, we removed them—or the ones we could—but this should have happened faster. If a pandemic comes again, we need to get a better balance, encouraging people to take action whilst at the same time protecting people’s fundamental liberty.”

Perrottet, one of 12 children, was elected to parliament in 2011 after working as a commercial lawyer and serving as president of the NSW Young Liberals.

A conservative NSW Liberal, he became treasurer of NSW in 2017, a position he held until October 2021 when he became the 46th Premier of NSW.

Imagination and Ideas ‘Lifeblood of Politics’

During his final speech, Perrottet also shared some of his lessons from his experience in executive government.

He said the first and most fundamental lesson is that the lifeblood of politics is imagination and ideas.

“What I have learned is that the real opposition in government is not the Opposition; it is the status quo. The status quo is like a safety blanket: comfortable and familiar,” he said.

“But comfort does not lead to progress. To make the future better, you need ideas that challenge the way things are. Some think that being a conservative is about clinging to the past.

“To me, it is about understanding the immense value of the best of the past and carrying it with you to build a better future. It is about preserving what is good and innovating everything else.”

Perrottet stressed the importance of questioning established norms and practices.

“I now believe that the most important question a minister can ask is why. Why do school hours have to be from nine to three? Why does Canberra run GPs but states run hospitals? Why does the Cahill Expressway actually even exist?” he said.

“Asking why makes you challenge things that are just part of the furniture—like, why do you pay the government, on average, $75,000 in stamp duty just to buy a home?”

Perrottet also mentioned that achieving major change in politics sometimes means starting a journey that others will finish.

“For example, John Hewson started the GST and John Howard finished it. That is why I know the days of problem gambling in this state are numbered,” he said.

Further, he acknowledged the challenges of pushing for change, as most people are preoccupied with the present.

“While you might imagine a better future, most people are just busy enough with the here and now. If change means disruption, it is hard for some to see the vision beyond the dust and rubble,” he said.

A Look Back at the Vaccine Mandates

In NSW, vaccines were required to enter pubs, restaurants, and nonessential retail shops on “freedom day” when the state exited lockdown in October 2021.

Vaccine mandates for healthcare workers in New South Wales were introduced in Aug. 2021 and did not fully end until May 2024.

A policy directive issued by NSW Health on May 16, 2024, removed the requirement after nearly three years.

“COVID-19 vaccination changed from required to strongly recommended for all NSW Health workers,” the policy dated May 16 states (pdf).

In the construction industry, vaccinations were made compulsory for construction workers in nine local government areas in Western Sydney in August 2021. Mandatory vaccination requirements were removed on Oct. 11 for workers entering construction sites in NSW.

Vaccination mandates varied by state and territory in Australia, but every state and territory enforced mandates for health and aged care workers.

NSW Libertarian MLC John Ruddick, a former conservative Liberal member, applauded Perrottet’s speech and “admission of error around forcing warp speed vaccines.”

“Yes it was way too late but Dom was the sole voice of reason in the Berejiklian cabinet from the beginning of the hysteria,” Ruddick said. “Dom ended the hysteria in Australia.”