June 1, 2022
KATTER’S Australian Party (KAP) candidate for Callide in the June 18 by-election, Adam Burling, says the State Labor government’s lifting of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements for hospital visitors does not go far enough, and wants to see mandates for all public service workers, including nurses, lifted immediately.
Mr Burling said State Labor’s current approach to vaccine mandates is a face-saving exercise and not motivated by concern for public safety.
“I saw the affect of mandates when applied to small and medium businesses in our electorate, which achieved nothing more other than hurting the viability of these businesses.
“Professionals across all industries including banking have lost their jobs over this, as have teachers, nurses, police members and even forestry workers.”
South Australia dropped COVID-19 vaccine mandates for teachers and public transport workers in March.
The Queensland Premier, in response to a question on notice from KAP Member for Hill, Shane Knuth, said the government “will continue to take the health advice at this particular time” on COVID vaccine mandates.
Mr Burling said it defies belief that “health advice” is behind making forestry workers, for example, subject to vaccine mandates.
“The State Labor government got it wrong on vaccine mandates and continues to pursue a failed policy of applying mandates to all corners of the public service regardless of whatever risk COVID-19 poses to them or the public they interact with.
“The current policy settings as they pertain to government workers are non-sensical and wreaking havoc on the viability and availability of services in rural areas of Queensland where it’s hard to get workers.
“If elected, I will be joining the chorus of people calling for an end to these mandates. They are achieving nothing, yet to use these measures in an attempt to force people who by now clearly know they don’t want to get vaccinated is wrong.
“The Government needs to understand that those who want to be vaccinated have done so, and those who don’t will not become vaccinated, so it’s time to end the mandates and get on with returning to our normal lives as they were pre-COVID-19.”
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