On Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison reaffirmed his plans for vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations by supporting the right of businesses to deny entry to unvaccinated clients and customers.
Despite resistance within the coalition government regarding the use of vaccine certificates, Morrison reiterated that a business holds a legitimate right to deny entry to someone “who has refused to get vaccinated.” Morrison said, “If you’re not vaccinated, you represent a greater public health risk to yourself, to your family, to your community and others about you, so it’s only sensible that people will do sensible things to protect their public health.”
When questioned if people might have to show COVID-19 vaccination proof during their daily business, the PM told 2GB Radio: “A business under property law can say ‘No, you can’t come in,’ and they can ask for that [proof of vaccination]. That’s a legitimate thing for them to do, and they’re doing that to protect their workers, to protect their other clients.” He added, “It’s got nothing to do with ideology, and these issues around liberty and so on. We all believe in freedom, but we also believe in people being healthy.”
The government has supported vaccine certificates with QR codes to verify an individual’s vaccination status from the Australian Immunisation Register, which is often referred to as a vaccine passport. Morrison has been preparing the ground for vaccine passports for a long time. Earlier, the Australian government also talked about proof of vaccination for air travel and access to public spaces.
However, the PM’s plan to use vaccine passports has been criticised by several coalition MPs. Queensland Liberal Party MP George Christensen is running a petition against the concept, calling it a “coercive measure.” The petition states: “A free and democratic society should never restrict or withdraw freedoms or force people into undertaking a medical procedure or require private medical information to be divulged to others.”
Likewise, the Australian Human Rights Commission has asked businesses to be cautious while refusing to extend services to unvaccinated populations. The Commission said, “Blanket rules could stop people who cannot get the vaccine due to medical reasons or who are not yet eligible from accessing products and services.”
The latest development also comes amid debates around employers’ demand for mandatory vaccinations and the government’s refusal to issue public health orders to bring them into effect. Last week, Australia’s major airline, Qantas, announced compulsory vaccination for all employees and passengers flying internationally. Though Morrison supported Qantas’ move, he ruled out the vaccine mandate supported by the federal government beyond the aged care and quarantine systems. He stressed noncompulsory vaccination as the key to the country’s vaccine programme.
The Australian cabinet is likely to meet on Friday to discuss restriction exemptions for fully vaccinated citizens. As of Wednesday, 54.4% of citizens aged above 16 have received one vaccine dose, while 31.6% are fully immunised.
Australian PM Morrison Reaffirms Plans for Vaccine Passports and Mandatory Vaccinations
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison reaffirmed his plans for vaccine passports by backing businesses against the entry of unvaccinated clients and customers, citing public health risks.
August 26, 2021
SOURCE: THE HINDU