Labor’s NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten is the most senior MP from any of the major parties to back mandatory vaccination for federal MPs.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
NSW has also introduced mandatory vaccination for workers in schools,aged care and healthcare,but the Victorian move goes much further.
Mr Shorten toldThe Sun-HeraldandThe Sunday Age that if politicians were mandating vaccines for other people working in other sectors,“I don’t see how we[MPs] can be separate”.
“How do we ask nurses,disability carers,aged care workers to do this but not ourselves? We come into contact with people every day,” he said.
“I don’t think the vaccines are experimental,I don’t think COVID is a hoax and there have been mandates from governments on people’s health before. The vaccines are safe and effective;this is about the common good.”
The federal government has indicated strong support for all eligible Australians to be vaccinated for COVID-19 but has,to date,shied away from broadly mandating vaccines – though it did back state moves to make vaccines mandatory for aged care workers,based on health advice.
Labor’s opposition leader Anthony Albanese and the federal Greens have taken a similar position to the federal government.