Thursday, 7 April 2022

COVID-19 vaccination

Mr NORTHE (Morwell) (17:11): (6332) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Health. The action I seek from the minister is for the government to inform businesses and the broader community as to when the requirement to provide proof of vaccination will no longer apply for patrons to enter certain venues, and further, when the vaccine mandate will end so people can return to their employment of choice.

Unless you are double vaccinated in Victoria you are currently unable to attend settings such as bars, nightclubs, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, zoos, museums, live music venues, walking tours, tourist buses, casinos, gaming venues and adult entertainment venues. There seems no logic or rationale as to why the Victorian government is maintaining these imposts to businesses whilst denying Victorian citizens their freedoms and liberties.

The business community has been through a tumultuous two years, and for much of this time they have been required to enforce government COVID rules, which have come at a cost to businesses from a financial and resourcing perspective. New South Wales have already relaxed their proof-of-vaccination rules, and I quote from their COVID ‘Staying safe’ website, which says:

Most premises in NSW are now open to everyone, regardless of whether you are fully vaccinated or not.

Queensland is also relaxing their mandate rules from 14 April, which means unvaccinated Queenslanders can enter venues such as pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants, theme parks, casinos, cinemas, weddings, showgrounds, galleries, libraries, museums and stadiums. Once again, Victoria seems to be the outlier when it comes to these matters.

As I have said in this place many times, Victoria unfortunately now has two classes of citizens: the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. It troubles me that there appears to be no appetite to change the current state of play and many Victorian citizens have similarly been discarded and forgotten. On 14 October 2021 I asked the Minister for Health in question time as to when the vaccine mandate was likely to be lifted for workers. In part the minister said it will be there for as long as it is proportionate and needed to be put in place to keep Victorians safe and to underpin our safe opening. I have seen public commentary that talks about this measure being needed until as long as April 2022, which the minister said. What I would say to the minister is: well, I thought we had reopened safely, and it is now April 2022, so why do these draconian and unfair rules still exist?

Even more concerning is the fact that many Victorians have lost their livelihoods because they dared to do their research and conclude that the COVID vaccination is not for them, a vaccine that the federal government states is voluntary. Given the extremely high vaccination rates in Victoria and the fact that the government now sees rapid antigen testing as a genuine tool in dealing with COVID-19, it defies logic why people continue to be denied their ability to work or be valued members of society. Why, for example, cannot people be regularly tested at their place of employment if that is an option for one who is not vaccinated? In closing, I ask the minister to provide details as to when the vaccination mandate will be lifted in Victoria.