Chaotic, contradictory and confusing. Arguably, that phrase could be used to describe a cacophony of Gunner Government cock ups.
But specifically, Labor 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.
Nowhere else in the country, and most parts of the world, had the luxury afforded to the Territory to prepare for a Coronavirus outbreak.
Yet, before the virus spread through the Territory we had a Labor government presiding over: five Code Yellow bed blocks at Royal Darwin Hospital, the mass cancellation of elective surgeries, a bungled remote vaccine rollout – despite ongoing concerns raised by the CLP months, the closure of multiple remote health clinics and constant COVID changes with the burden to implement them squarely on the shoulders of Territory businesses.
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.
The government has six (6) CHOs providing them advice! Territorians deserve to know what that advice and evidence is – and how government is implementing that advice.
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 and volunteers.
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.
If Labor won’t let the Chief Health Officer (CHO) stump up and provide justification to keep the vaccine mandate, then it needs to be scrapped.
Territorians have watched on as South Australia and Queensland move to scrap mandates. Unvaccinated teachers, taxi and ride share drivers, as well as public transport workers south of the border are all heading back to work. Why is the Territory’s ‘health advice’ in stark contrast to what we’re seeing in other jurisdictions?
Even Labor’s Police Minister is confused by her own government’s rules. Nicole Manison was forced to apologise after breaching CHO directions by not wearing a mask after existing quarantine – but is yet to pay the $5,000 fine. Why should Territorians have to fork out, when the Police Minister can’t even follow the rules and accept her punishment?
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. Territorians deserve more transparency, not less.