Pauline Hanson claims car crash deaths counted in COVID toll 

Leadership that spreads misinformation is not leadership, AMA Vice President Dr Chris Moy said this week, after One Nation senator Pauline Hanson attempted to cast doubt on official numbers and declared she would not have the COVID vaccine.

Senator Hanson questioned Australia’s official death toll, saying anyone who died while COVID-positive was considered to have died from the disease.  

“If a person died in a car accident and they tested positive for COVID, that was a COVID death. That is wrong, that is deceiving the people,” she told Sky News.  

She also said she had never received a flu jab and had no plans to have the COVID vaccine.  

“It’s my choice whether I want to have it. Don’t you be concerned; if you have your vaccine, you’re protected, you’re fine,” she said.  

Dr Moy said given Ms Hanson’s following, her comments were “not leadership, they’re irresponsible”.  

“Leadership which fails us by supporting conspiracy theories is not leadership,” he told NCA NewsWire.  

“The vaccines have been fully tested for safety and effectiveness by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australia has even had the extra benefit of being able to observe what’s happened overseas.”  

Dr Moy also rejected Ms Hanson’s claim authorities had inflated the official death toll.  

“The recording of COVID-19 is no different to any other disease. A doctor would only list it as the underlying cause of death, or contributing cause, if they genuinely believed that,” he said.