State premiers and Coalition colleagues slam Scott Morrison’s vaccination passport idea

Scott Morrison’s own colleagues have spectacularly turned on him, publicly lashing the Prime Minister over a controversial vaccination idea.

Scott Morrison is under fire from state premiers and his own colleagues for pandering to “bed-wetting” over his COVID-19 vaccine passport plan, with Nationals MP George Christensen slamming the plan as “tyranny”.

In a stinging attack on his Telegram account to conservative supporters, Liberal National MP George Christensen has warned the PM to dump the idea.

“I understand the Prime Minister is trying to navigate the idiocy of bed-wetting and politically opportunistic premiers shutting state borders as soon as someone in another state sneezes, but with the greatest respect, vaccine passports are not a path to freedom. They are a path to tyranny,’’ Mr Christensen said.

Independent MP Craig Kelly will introduce a bill banning COVID vaccine passports when Parliament resumes next week and he claims to have already secured the support of Mr Christensen.

Mr Kelly told news.com.au his “no vaccine passport bill’’ would ban the plan. He said there were constitutional powers to prohibit the states from issuing a vaccine passport.

“You shouldn’t in Australia have to show your medical papers to go to the Gold Coast, to cross the Murray River, go to the pub or go to the footy,’’ he told news.com.au.

“It’s absolutely against Liberal Party philosophy. The Liberal Party is about freedom of choice. This is coercion. You’re forced to have this medical treatment to be a full participant in society.”

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Independent MP Craig Kelly will introduce a bill banning COVID vaccine passports. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

Despite Mr Christensen’s savaging of “bed wetting” premiers – two state leaders have also raised concerns over the vaccine passport plan.

He’s been backed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian who have criticised the vaccine passport option.

The Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she thought it was a bad idea.

“I don’t know how a passport would work around Australia,” she told the ABC.

“To me, there’s been no discussion at the national cabinet on how it would work, why it would be necessary, so I just think we need to have more of a discussion about that.

“Perhaps it needs to go to the Prime Minister’s federal Cabinet first to have a discussion to see what they think of the idea.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also dumped on the idea in an interview in The Australian newspaper.

“There should be no internal borders. There should be free movement within Australia, vaccine or no vaccine,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The vaccine is our way of dealing with international borders. There is no basis for states closing borders to other states.”

Asked about the vaccine passport plan on Thursday, the Prime Minister said it was one option to encourage people to get their jabs.

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Gladys Berejiklian is at odds with Scott Morrison over vaccine passports. Picture: NCA News Wire

“Well, look, the next steps, people want to know, how do we sort of open up again,’’ he said.

“Borders remain closed. And that’s why we look for ways to try and further liberalise things that are safe. Now, that would mean, for example, if you’re fully vaccinated and the state government decides to close the border for whatever reason at a particular time, there may have been a breakout and they’re looking to contain it or impose restrictions on, on their local populations, but if you’re vaccinated then you might be able not to be subject to those restrictions.

“Now that’s something I’m happy to talk through with the states because, ultimately, they’re the ones who put those restrictions on, under their public health orders.”

Originally published as State premiers and Coalition colleagues slam Scott Morrison’s vaccination passport idea