Senator McCarthy hits back after Gunner’s stinging attack over her stance on mandating the jab
Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has hit back at Chief Minister Michael Gunner after he labelled her opposition to mandating the Covid vaccine for frontline workers a ‘disgrace’.
Northern Territory
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UPDATE SEP 24: FEDERAL Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has hit back at Chief Minister Michael Gunner, after he launched a stinging attack on the senator over her opposition to mandating the Covid jab for frontline workers.
Senator McCarthy called Mr Gunner’s actions an “unfortunate distraction”, saying she had in fact made her position clear to the chief minister.
“Michael Gunner had my statement yesterday morning, at the same time it was sent to media,” she said.
“It makes my position clear. It’s there in black and white.
“I have made the choice to be fully vaccinated to keep myself, my family and my community safe. If people choose not to be vaccinated, that decision comes with consequences.”
Senator McCarthy said, as an example, some remote communities may decide to bar unvaccinated people from entering.
“This is their choice to keep their people safe,” she said.
She said she supported moves by employers and governments to encourage uptake of the jab by providing incentives.
“The Morrison government must deal with the anti-vaxxers and those in their own ranks peddling fear and misinformation,” she said.
Senator McCarthy called Mr Gunner’s actions an “unfortunate distraction” from the work of encouraging as many Territorians as possible to get vaccinated.
“At no stage has the chief minister picked up the phone to discuss this issue with me,” she said.
“Federal Labor has a plan to incentivise people to get the jab. The Morrison-Joyce Government is talking about compelling people to get the jab because they’ve ruled out incentives.”
Mr Gunner on Thursday laid into Ms McCarthy, labelling her anti-mandatory vaccine position as a “disgrace”.
Mr Gunner’s stunning comments, made late Thursday night, came after Ms McCarthy said she didn’t support mandatory vaccinations for frontline workers.
Ms McCarthy made her position clear twice on Thursday, first during an ABC Radio interview and then in a statement.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Mr Gunner said Ms McCarthy’s office had misled him about her stance on mandatory vaccination.
“I am incredibly angry that when asked to clarify Senator McCarthy made it clear to my office she supported our mandatory vaccine policy,” he said.
“I’ve since learned she has failed to stand by that clarification within the same day.
“Senator McCarthy’s position on mandatory vaccination is a disgrace, and presents a risk to the Territory’s most vulnerable.”
Mr Gunner said he held a zero-tolerance policy on dealing with anti-vaccination rhetoric.
“If you advocate for their right to choose over the safety of our vulnerable Territorians, then you are an anti-vaxxer,” he said.
Mr Gunner, during Question Time earlier on Thursday, said Senator McCarthy had supported his stance on mandatory vaccinations, and vowed to call her an anti-vaxxer if she reneged on this deal.
That’s despite Senator McCarthy making two public statements on Thursday affirming her belief that it should be a choice.
“I know that this is something that the Chief Minister is pushing,” she said.
“I’m very cautious about making people do anything if they’re certainly unable to do so medically.”
Senator McCarthy later released an additional statement saying she believed employers and governments should use incentives to get workers vaccinated instead.
“If people choose not to be vaccinated, that decision comes with consequences.”
EARLIER: CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has released a bizarre statement thanking Malarndirri McCarthy for being in favour of mandatory vaccinations, despite the Labor Senator saying earlier she was opposed to them.
In a statement sent to the NT News, Mr Gunner said anyone who gave comfort to anti-vaxxers was an anti-vaxxer.
“We sought clarification from Senator McCarthy and I thank for her supporting our mandatory vaccination policy,” he said.
“She has acknowledged that keeping our most vulnerable safe is a priority.
“Anyone who advocates for, or gives comfort to, anti-vaxxers is an anti-vaxxer.”
Senator McCarthy sent out a statement on Thursday morning, clarifying her remarks on ABC Radio earlier that day.
“I support moves by employers and Governments to encourage vaccination by providing incentives,” she said.
“If people choose not to be vaccinated, that decision comes with consequences.
“I encourage people to talk to a medical professional if they have concerns about the vaccination.”
Senator McCarthy, who is fully vaccinated herself, also said Indigenous communities should have the right to prevent unvaccinated people from visiting their lands.
EARLIER: LABOR Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has publicly broken with Chief Minister Michael Gunner on whether certain workers should be mandated to have the Covid-19 vaccine.
Speaking to ABC Radio Darwin on Thursday morning, Senator McCarthy said she believed mandatory vaccines were “something that we’ve not reached as a country”.
“I know that this is something that the Chief Minister is pushing,” she said.
“I’m very cautious about making people do anything if they’re certainly unable to do so medically.”
Senator McCarthy said the government needed to focus instead on improving communication in languages other than English.
“I’m encouraging people to take the vaccine from the sense of seeing the disaster unfolding in New South Wales around Delta, especially in the western New South Wales communities there,” she said.
“Naturally, we want people to make the decisions themselves, but we have to give them all the information.”
The stance is a break from the Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s stance.
Mr Gunner has pushed for all teachers to be mandated to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, saying the measure would help protect children from Covid-19.
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