Daniel Andrews slams shoppers for retail abuse over jab mandate

Daniel Andrews says there has been “deep engagement” with the retail sector over the state’s vaccine mandate but retailers say abuse from shoppers over the rule is escalating.

Daniel Andrews has slammed abusive shoppers but maintains his government provided adequate consultation with the retail sector over vaccine mandates.

It comes after reports Victorian retailers are being physically abused over the state’s vaccine mandate, with some workers being struck with trolleys and boiling liquids by angry shoppers.

The spike in abuse comes just days after Victorian traders were “blindsided” by changing government requirements, which have now tasked them with checking the vaccine status of shoppers on entry.

It’s prompted fears that some stores may not be able to trade in-person during Black Friday sales or in the lead-up to Christmas because workers are too scared to return.

Many stores have been forced to hire their own private security guards to manage aggressive customers.

The Premier on Thursday responded to a letter he received from the Australian Retailers Association which called on the government to properly consult with the sector amid a spike in physical and verbal abuse from irate shoppers.

Mr Andrews said he hadn’t personally read the letter from ARA chief executive Paul Zahra but said he believed his office had received it.

“I think there’s been a deep engagement with the retail sector,” he said when asked if his government had done enough to assist retailers.

He said recent reports of staff being struck with trolleys and boiling liquids by angry shoppers was not appropriate.

“That’s simply not appropriate for anybody to be abused or treated in that way at work,” Mr Andrews said.

“Those who are showing you to your table, or those checking you in at a retail facility, they don’t make the rules, they are just doing their job and they should be treated fairly and properly.”

From November 19, full vaccination became a condition of entry for all non-essential retail. Picture: David Crosling

In its open letter to Daniel Andrews, the Australian Retailers Association called on the government to properly consult with the sector after they received thousands of reports about violent incidents.

The new measure – which only came into effect on Friday, in line with the state reaching its 90 per cent double dose target – coincides with unvaccinated populations now being locked out of non-essential retail settings.

Opposition spokesman for small business David Southwick said retailers had been let down by a government that displayed a “troubling trend” of changing policies.

“It’s bad enough that small businesses have had to deal with restrictions and lockdowns since March last year, but to now turn shopkeepers into security guards is another cost that they shouldn’t have to deal with,” he said.

Mr Southwick has called on the government to scrap proof-of-vaccine entry requirements now that the state had hit its 90 per cent targets.

“It’s simply unfair that as New South Wales is getting rid of these mandates, these costs and burdens will still be imposed onto retailers and small businesses into the unforeseeable future,” he said.

“Victorians have listened and done the right thing and we are now asking for sensible, simple solutions and keeping us in line with other states by scrapping proof-of-vaccination requirements as an early Christmas present.”

But the state government has refused to scrap its strict vaccine mandate as part of a raft of proposed amendments to its controversial pandemic legislation, which is due to resume in parliament next week.

While Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes on Wednesday said “very productive” conversations with all crossbenchers were ongoing, she ruled out any prospect of striking a deal to scrap the edict.

Paul Zahra says the ‘stop-start nature’ of the vaccine checking requirement has been challenging. Picture: David Swift

It comes after independent MP Catherine Cumming demanded the order be removed completely if she was to consider supporting the Bill.

Several federal government backbenchers have also caused chaos in Canberra with their opposition to mandates. Victorian MP Russell Broadbent declared that mandates “without reasonable exemptions are not only unconscionable, they are criminal”.

The Herald Sun last month revealed that a number of leading health experts – including the head of the Doherty Institute, Sharon Lewin – had expressed concerns about mandates continuing once 90 to 95 per cent of the population being fully jabbed.

Some retailers fear they may be unable to operate in the lead-up to the Black Friday sales and the Christmas period. Picture: David Crosling

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said Victoria needed to scrap the vaccine economy next month in line with New South Wales, which will remove the requirement at its 95 per cent double dose milestone or on December 15, whichever comes first.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra said removing the burden of proof-of-vaccination checks could ease the escalating abuse on staff.

“Customer aggression has remained a problem throughout the pandemic. However, the behaviour exhibited by customers during the past week reached peak levels, resulting in many retail staff becoming fearful to return to work,” Mr Zahra said.

In his letter to the Premier, Mr Zahra said many of the issues could have been ironed out if the government had better consulted with industry.

“These requirements were introduced with very little information on the record and without the provision of a public health order until the day of the legislation coming into place,” he wrote.

Ms Symes refused to say whether the government was rethinking the mandate rule, after Mr Andrews this week flagged he wanted it gone before 2023.

KID JAB MANDATE NOT RULED OUT

Daniel Andrews has doubled down on the government’s refusal to rule out making the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for every Victorian child aged five to 11.

The Herald Sun revealed the government had left the door open to the mandate for young children, if the vaccine was approved for them.

It comes after widespread confusion caused by the current mandates for children, and suggestions the restrictions on unvaccinated people could continue until 2023.

The Premier on Tuesday would not confirm if the government and health officials were considering a mandate for five to 11-year-olds, and said it was still “too early” to say whether a mandate was required for such a young cohort.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is yet to rule if either vaccine is safe for them, and needed given children don’t typically suffer serious illness from Covid.

Mr Andrews said the concept of a jab mandate for children wasn’t new, saying there were “no jab, no play” rules in “literally hundreds and hundreds of early childhood settings”.

He maintained it was justified to lock out 12 to 15 year olds from large parts of society if they hadn’t received both doses, despite no other Australian state implementing such a harsh requirement.

An Israeli boy receives a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Picture: AFP

“The virus doesn’t care if you’re 12, 13, 14, 15 or 105. It doesn’t matter,” he said.

But he refused to confirm if active discussions were under way within the government about plans to extend that mandate to primary school-aged students.

“It’s too early for us to be definitive about what it will mean for that age group. It’s still to be worked through,” he said.

Mr Andrews also revealed he hoped the vaccinated economy – which bans unvaccinated people from attending hospitality venues, retail precincts and major events – would be completely dropped by 2023.

While he is yet to provide an end date, Mr Andrews has previously flagged it will remain in place until the Grand Prix in April next year.

“I would just remind you that we have ‘no jab, no play’ in literally hundreds and hundreds of early childhood settings. It’s not a new thing at all,” he said.

It comes after the state government was on Monday night forced to wind back parts of its existing mandate to ensure unvaccinated students aged 12 and over could still attend camps, excursions, graduations and other school-based activities that are organised by their school, even if they are held at premises where jab requirements apply.

Those unvaccinated children can’t attend the same venues outside of school hours.

Kids also won’t need to be double dosed to take part in community sport – even if the training or game is happening at a venue where jab requirements ordinarily apply, such as a gym – but they could still be locked out if amateur or community leagues choose to impose their own rules.

Daniel Andrews may introduce a jab mandate for kids. Picture: Daniel Pockett

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the confusion around vaccine rules had left kids feeling like a “pariah”.

“The government has got to get these rules right. This is not just a fly-by night decision. It doesn’t seem to have dawned on the Premier or his health Minister that when they make these decisions, it impacts on the mental health of our children,” he said.

“There’s enough worry from parents around that they can’t get their 12 year olds to play sport without the Premier flagging that five year olds will need to be double vaxxed. The state government needs to stop scaring the hell out of people.

“They just can’t get it right, it appears.”

Mr Guy said he would only support a mandate if it was rolled out across the country and based on advice from ATAGI.

Meanwhile, Mr Andrews hinted that health Minister Martin Foley could this week make an announcement about the future of Victoria’s border permit system.

Nineteen Covid-related deaths – aged between 50 and 105 – were reported in Victoria on Tuesday, with all but two having been unvaccinated.