COVID-19 vaccination
Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (11:28): I thank Mr Davis for his question. As Mr Davis would understand, WorkSafe is an independent agency, and I do know that the CEO and senior executives of WorkSafe have been for many, many months now strongly encouraging all of their employees to get vaccinated, particularly any of those workers within the WorkSafe operation that are public facing, and that is something that I fully support. As Mr Davis is well aware, the prioritisation of workforces in terms of the rollout of the vaccination program is a matter for the health experts, and the Victorian government is working closely with the commonwealth in that regard. I would just indicate my strong support for all employers, not just WorkSafe but all employers across Victoria, to do whatever they can to encourage and facilitate their staff to become vaccinated.
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (11:29): It seems to me that the minister has not got an answer to how many or what percentage are vaccinated at WorkSafe. But WorkSafe of course has a very particular role—a leadership role in workplace safety, as the minister has in fact outlined—and needs to set an example. In that respect there were 1385 staff at 30 June 2020, and I ask you: will you now go and ask and find out how many have been vaccinated and report to the house?
Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (11:30): I thank Mr Davis for his supplementary question. Obviously I speak to WorkSafe on a regular basis about all manner of health and safety priorities, and I know that WorkSafe are continuing to play a really important part in the government’s response to this global pandemic. As I have already indicated in my substantive answer, it is a voluntary vaccination program at this point in time. Employees of WorkSafe have been strongly encouraged by that organisation to get vaccinated since the beginning of this pandemic last year, and I will continue to advocate strongly for that to continue to be taken up. I note that now anyone over the age of 16 in Victoria can access our vaccination hubs, and also as supply improves as a result of the federal government providing Victoria with its adequate share of vaccination supply I would urge all Victorian workplaces to take up that option.