Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says the Gunner Government needs to stop the chaotic, contradictory COVID rules as a distraction from its crime, health and integrity crisis.
“This one-trick-pony government is desperate to keep talking about COVID to distract from every other crisis it has created”
“The Vaccine Pass saga is no coincidence. It was a deliberate distraction by the Gunner Government to get the Rolfe investigation out of the news cycle.
“Let me be crystal clear, the CLP does not support the Chief Health Officer (CHO) having emergency power for two more years, while there is no state of emergency – and does not support the removal of the mandatory reporting by the CHO to parliament.
“If the CHO needs power, the Gunner Government can stump up and justify extending the state of emergency. If it can’t do that, then the CHO’s powers need to end with the state of emergency. The Chief Minister can’t have his cake and eat it too.
“The end of the Vax Pass means the only COVID restriction that remains is the mandate against unvaccinated workers.
“There must be an urgent review of the vaccine mandate and an explanation by the CHO to Territorians. Quite literally, the only thing an unvaccinated person can’t do in the Territory is go to work. The contradictions continue,” said Mrs Finocchiaro.
Shadow Minister for Health, Bill Yan, says if the Gunner Government can review the Vaccine Pass, review mask mandates, and review the check-in system, why can’t Labor review the vaccine mandate?
“Territorians have watched on as South Australia and Queensland move to scrap mandates. The CLP supports the best health advice, but Territorians want to hear from the CHO why the mandate on workers is still necessary given that unvaccinated people have all the same rights as vaccinated people – they just aren’t allowed to go to work.
“If the health advice around the Vaccine Pass can change so significantly in just two weeks – why isn’t the vaccine mandate being looked at?
“An unvaccinated person can come to the Territory, go to bars, eat at restaurants, take their kids to the park, watch a movie, and head to the footy – they just can’t go to work and earn a living to feed their family.
“Territorians deserve to know what the best health advice is – and the evidence to back it up – on what COVID measures need to stay, what needs to change and what needs to be scrapped completely,” said Mr Yan.
ENDS