Barnaby Joyce says mandating vaccines for federal MPs ‘will lead to a fight’

Barnaby Joyce said the “vast majority” of federal MPs would get vaccinated but made a surprising admission about mandating the jab.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says federal politicians should not be forced to be vaccinated, because ensuing arguments would be counter-productive.

His strong statement comes after former Labor leader Bill Shorten called for mandatory vaccines for all federal MPs, but Mr Joyce said while he is fully vaccinated and will get a booster shot, mandating the jabs for federally elected officials would “just lead to fights”.

“I’ll get my booster shot, and so will the vast majority of politicians. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in the mid-90s (per cent),” Mr Joyce told Sunrise.

Victoria has extended its vaccine mandate to all essential workers cleared to leave home during the lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

“But you’re just setting some up with a platform to have an argument, and that will go on, and the ventilation that argument will have will work contrary to what you want to achieve.”

Host Natalie Barr questioned whether it was a double standard for leaders to enforce vaccinations in some sectors, including healthcare.

Victoria has expanded its vaccine mandate to MPs, judges, lawyers, faith leaders, and journalists in what is understood to be one of the strictest mandates in the world.

While NSW has mandated vaccinations for workers in schools, aged care and healthcare. Queensland has also enforced a mandate on healthcare workers.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said while the vast majority of MPs would get vaccinated, mandates would not work. Picture: Newswire/Gary Ramage

Barr questioned Mr Joyce as to why politicians should not be made to get the vaccine.

“I will, the vast majority of people will,” Mr Joyce said.

“(But by mandating it) You’ll just have a massive fight with a couple of people. While having that fight, you’ll have a message out there completely and utterly at odds with what you want to achieve.

“You’ll have every conspiracy theory out there. I know people want me to say mandatory vaccines, but I also know how politics works, that’s what would happen next.”

One Nation Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts have indicated they would not be getting the jab, while United Australian Party MP Craig Kelly is facing legal action from the Therapeutic Goods Administration over a text message campaign they allege may have misled people about the vaccine.

Originally published as Barnaby Joyce says mandating vaccines for federal MPs ‘will lead to a fight’