Ex-chief minister Shane Stone says reward fully vaccinated with travel and freedom

A former Northern Territory chief minister says people, who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, should be rewarded with less restrictions — particularly interstate travel.

FORMER Northern Territory chief minister Shane Stone says people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 should be rewarded with less restrictions — particularly with interstate travel.

Mr Stone, who is in Darwin this week, said this could be used as an incentive for people to have their Covid-19 vaccinations.

“It’s the old story, you give something, you get something,” he said. “In this case if you give people a reason to get vaccinated, such as less restrictions during lockdowns, as opposed to those who are not fully vaccinated you are giving people an extra incentive to get vaccinated.”

Mr Stone, who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, said those who could produce their Covid-19 vaccination certificate should be able to travel the nation more freely and not be forced to spend thousands of dollars in quarantine centres if returning from a hot spot.

“They should allowed to home quarantine and undergo the regular health checks from the comfort of their home,” he said.

“What perplexes me is that if I cross borders from the ACT, into Brisbane or the NT, not once am I asked ‘have you been vaccinated?’

“Not once does that seem to be a priority of consideration and the problem with that is we’ve now established that vaccine hesitancy is a real problem.

“If people are hesitating and the state and territory governments are not according your vaccination status of any value why would people bother getting vaccinated.

Former Northern Territory chief minister Shane Stone says people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 should be rewarded with less restrictions — particularly interstate travel. Picture: Gary Shipway

“If I were the NT chief minister I would be showing Territorians that it does matter. If you are carrying your vaccination certificate you will be accorded particular rights and privileges for being fully vaccinated and you will be able to travel freely between the states and go out to restaurants and go about your business.”

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he saw “no need” for vaccine incentives.

“That’s because Territorians are filling appointments, because they care about each other,” Mr Gunner said.

He said the current vaccination rate was “nowhere near where it needs to be to even look at allowing vaccinated interstaters to travel here from declared hot spots”.