Scott Morrison open to a Covid-19 vaccine lottery but lashes cash splash

Scott Morrison has lashed Anthony Albanese’s push to pay people to get Covid-19 jabs as a ‘vote of no confidence in Australians’.

Scott Morrison in question time on Tuesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison has lashed ­Anthony Albanese’s proposal to pay people to get Covid-19 jabs as a “vote of no confidence in Australians”, but left the door open to ­implementing a vaccine lottery.

The Prime Minister said Labor’s proposal to give $300 to everyone who was fully vaccinated by December 1 was a “bubble without a thought”.

“It says to them that their health concerns that they might have about a vaccine can be paid off. And I don’t think that’s the view of Australians,” Mr Morrison said on Tuesday.

“I think doing it for themselves, their family, their communities and for their country is what motivates them to do this.”

However, Mr Morrison said the government would “look at” proposals for a vaccine lottery if an ­increased uptake was needed, ­arguing there was a “big difference” between a lottery and Mr ­Albanese’s cash handout policy.

“The fiscal difference is pretty huge … and we’ve had lots of private offers of how things like that might work,” Mr Morrison said.

“But the primary reason why Australians are going to do this is because Australians know that it’s good for them, their family and their country.”

While the cash-for-jabs policy was generally well received within Labor, there were some MPs concerned that about the “process” of the announcement, given that it was not approved by the full shadow cabinet or Labor caucus.

There was also a concern the $6bn policy, which is not means tested, was “very expensive” and was “giving people money to do the right thing”.

Other Labor MPs lauded the politics of the announcement and believed it would provide much-needed economic stimulus.

Mr Albanese said the proposal was a “constructive idea”, with ­incentives being used overseas. US President Joe Biden said last week $US100 should be paid to people who were fully vaccinated.

“We know that this would provide a discussion point as well around the bowling clubs, around communities, to talk about ­whether people have been vaccinated or not and to encourage the take-up of it,” Mr Albanese said.

“And we also know that there’s a context for this, which is the ­potential negative quarter in September for our economy.

“A $300 payment, just like in the past when economies have been struggling, provides an ­incentive for people to spend, for people to support local jobs, for people to be given a reward for the tough couple of years that they’ve endured during this pandemic.”

Lieutenant General John Frewen, who is running the government’s vaccine rollout, said “we don’t need incentives right now”.

“What resonates most strongly with people in Australia seems to be … the incentive of being able to travel internationally again to, you know, not have to quarantine, to avoid lockdown,” General Frewen said. “So that’s what seems to be most strongly motivating people right now to get to those high ­levels of vaccination that we need to get.”

University of NSW epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws said Australians were “very good at ­uptaking vaccines”.

“I don’t think we need it (incentives) yet. I actually don’t think Australians are that hesitant,” Professor McLaws said.

“There is just not enough vaccine available. I would prefer that money to go to people who are ­really hurting financially with the lockdown.”

Telstra chief executive Andy Penn said he would “like to think that people would want to get ­vaccinated because it is the right thing to do”.