Anti-jab campaigners can shove it, says NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner
NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner has told opponents of vaccine mandates to ‘shove it’ as the Top End records more cases associated with the Katherine coronavirus cluster.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has told opponents of state and territory-based vaccine mandates to “shove it” as the Top End records more cases associated with the Katherine coronavirus cluster.
Three people tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday: an international arrival, a 33-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man, the latter two from Katherine.
The new cases bring the total for the Territory’s latest outbreak to 37, with four of those people in hospital. Katherine’s lockdown was extended until Wednesday, while the Aboriginal community of Robinson River will move to lighter “lockout” restrictions.
Anyone who does not get fully vaccinated now needs permission to travel to the Top End, cannot work in a public-facing role and must lockdown during outbreaks. About 400 public servants are facing the sack as a result.
On Monday, five federal Coalition senators crossed the floor to back Pauline Hanson’s bill opposing state- and territory-based vaccine mandates. The bill was defeated.
Mr Gunner was asked if his own rhetoric had gone too far, particularly around calling those opposed to vaccine mandates anti-vaxxers even if they had, in fact, had the jab.
“If you are anti-mandate, you are anti-vax. I don’t care what your personal vaccination status is,” he said.
“If you campaign against people being vaccinated in vulnerable settings, teachers in classrooms, I’ll be really clear that at that point in time, people are actually supporting the idea of a teacher being unvaccinated in a remote community classroom with kids who can’t be vaccinated.
“If you are out there in any way, shape or form campaigning against this mandate, you are absolutely anti-vax. If you say pro-persuasion, stuff it. Shove it. We are absolutely going to make sure as many Territorians as possible are vaccinated.”
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