VACCINES for COVID-19 are our safest and more important pathway out of lockdowns. They are our most effective defence against the coronavirus.
They help reduce community transmission and the risk of hospitalisation and death. For these reasons and more, I have been fully vaccinated. I strongly encourage all members of the community to join me in arming themselves against the virus.
With an increase in the number of cases in the Mildura region, ensuring that you and your loved ones are protected has to be a key priority.
On Friday last week, Premier Daniel Andrews announced a ‘no jab, no job’ policy in Victoria for anyone designated an authorised worker. On Friday next week, if you are unvaccinated, you will not be permitted to work.
In Australia we have a deep value of freedom of choice and freedom of opinion, elements of our democracy that have been won with blood, sweat and tears. These principles are the bedrock of our free society.
In a free and First World country, it would be right to expect the autonomy to make personal decisions free of economic coercion. Sadly, this order from the Premier contravenes this expectation.
Mr Andrews’ decision to mandate the vaccine shows no trust in the Victorian public and risks alienating more people from the rollout who have now rejected the vaccine in protest.
Managing COVID has been complex and I have argued for a proportionate, measured, and targeted strategy for lockdowns, rather than a blanket approach. The vaccine rollout also ought to be proportionate in line with the Doherty Institute modelling that has guided the national plan to reopening with an 80 per cent target.
This week in Mallee, we hit 88.3 per cent first-dose coverage and 56.7 per cent second-dose coverage. This is a wonderful achievement and means that we are well on our way to achieve more than 90 per cent double-dose coverage. This demonstrates that the vast majority of people are willing to step up and have the vaccination voluntarily, because they know it’s the right thing to do.
Coercion is not an incentive to make people “do the right thing”. The vast majority were doing it anyway and I thank them for doing so.
