‘No Jab, No Play’: PM Toys With Vax Mandate Idea
By Brianna McKee – Digital Reporter
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated he is still considering a ‘no jab, no play’ solution to vaccine hesitancy in Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted at possible measures which could effectively function as a vaccine mandate during a press conference on Wednesday.
Probed by journalists on why he would not introduce a ‘no jab, no play’ type initiative to promote vaccine uptake the Prime Minister responded saying, “I didn’t say we wouldn’t”.
However he pointed out placing restrictions on movement based on a person’s vaccine status was within the jurisdiction of state governments.
“The Commonwealth Government can’t do that,” he said.
“Only the state governments can place restrictions on people entering a venue, entering a place of work, things like this.”
Mr Morrison has previously expressed a strong view on vaccines during his time as Social Services Minister where he was responsible for imposing stronger ‘no jab, no play’ regulations.
The rules withhold welfare payments or child-care benefits from parents whose children are not fully vaccinated.
After clarifying the separate duties of the state and federal governments Mr Morrison said what he could do was provide the state with the tools to implement mandatory vaccine measures.
“I can provide them with the tools that helps then to implement them, like the digital vaccine certificates and things of that nature and they can employ them,” he said.
“That is why we have kept them well up to date with how those mechanisms and those systems are working.”
It comes as 13.7 million Australians have been plunged into lockdown due to a spreading Delta strain of COVID-19 which has impacted New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
NSW entered lockdown on Saturday June 26, followed by Victoria on Friday July 16 and then South Australia on Tuesday July 20.
The spread of the virus has been further exacerbated by low vaccination rates in the population caused by a delayed vaccine rollout.
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