Thursday, 24 March 2022

Northern Victoria Region

Mr QUILTY (Northern Victoria) (12:37): (1711) My constituency question is for the Minister for Health. I had a constituent contact me with the following question:

Can someone please help me out?

There were 58,000 people on Wednesday night and 72,000 Thursday night at the MCG, over 40,000 on Sunday night at Marvel Stadium, to enjoy a game of sport, but my 8-year-old daughter still has to wear a mask at school.

I’m struggling to understand “the science” behind the decision making and explain it to her. I really need some assistance on this one.

It is difficult to see why children must wear a mask to learn but you do not need one when sitting in a crowd at the football. Minister, why can 70 000 people gather unmasked at the football in Melbourne but we cannot have a classroom unmasked in regional Victoria? It is time to ditch the mask requirements. We are as prepared as we are ever going to be. Kids hate the masks as much as anyone else, and they are safer than everyone else when it comes to COVID. It is time for the government to let it go.