West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of dog-whistling to anti-vaccination “terrorists” after the Prime Minister spoke out against broad vaccine mandates today and said he sympathised with the frustration of Australians throughout the pandemic.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also criticised Mr Morrison’s comments, describing them as “reckless”.
Asked at a press conference on Thursday what he thought of protests in Melbourne advocating violence against Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Mr Morrison said such behaviour had no place in Australia. However, he also said Australians were frustrated with governments telling them what to do, and it was time for states to “step back”.
Mark McGowan (left) and Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) are at loggerheads with Scott Morrison.
“Australians have done an amazing job when it comes to leading us through this pandemic, but now it’s time for governments to step back and for Australians to take their lives back, and for Australians to be able to move forward with the freedoms that should be theirs,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison criticised vaccine mandates beyond the health sector, after the McGowan government last month mandated vaccines for more than one million people in WA’s working population.
“Businesses can make their own choices under the law, but we’re not about telling them what to do or telling Australians what to do,” Mr Morrison said.
“[Australians] should be able to go and get a cup of coffee in Brisbane when you’re over 80 per cent [of double-dose coverage], regardless of whether you’ve had the vaccines or not.”
Mr McGowan and his family have been bombarded with threats since the vaccine mandate announcement.
He has also been forced to close his electorate office as staff were sent rape threats. Last week, a man allegedly tried to have an old British armoured war vehicle with a fake gun turret dropped off at Mr McGowan’s electorate office.
The WA Premier said Mr Morrison’s comments were unhelpful.
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“There just should not be any weasel words,” Mr McGowan said.
“There should be no walking on both sides of the fence, you condemn it and you support each of us that is trying to get people vaccinated across Australia.
“We can’t have anyone trying to score points with the anti-vaxxers or dog-whistling to them.
“We just need to all be on the same page that we get everyone vaccinated, we come out of this as unscathed as possible, and we avoid the mass deaths that have occurred in other countries.”
Ms Palaszczuk labelled the Prime Minister’s comments “incredibly disappointing” and “reckless”.
Under the frequently asked questions section of the Queensland government’s website for its reopening plan, which has yet to be formally outlined in health directions, unvaccinated people are said to still be able to order takeaway from “fast food (quick service)” restaurants.
More than 70 per cent of the Queensland population aged 16 and up is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 83.2 per cent have had a first dose.
Current restrictions in NSW and Victoria allow only takeaway service for unvaccinated people at restaurants and hospitality venues.
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