Council votes on COVID mandate motion

The council has decided on a controversial motion about the State Government’s proposed vaccine mandate after a lengthy debate.

The Fraser Coast council will write to the Premier flagging concerns about the impact of the State Government’s looming vaccine mandate on the local community.

It comes after Councillor James Hansen tabled a motion in Wednesday’s meeting calling on his colleagues to take action.

“While we’re grateful for the State Government’s actions to date and the efforts to keep Queenslanders safe during the current covid pandemic, we’re concerned about how it would affect small businesses and members of the public,” he said when addressing council.

“Council wouldn’t refuse entry to places to anyone based on race, religion or gender.”

Councillor Zane O’Keefe was the first councillor to speak against the motion at Wednesday’s meeting, showing support for the introduction of tougher restrictions.

“I support public health and the mandates that are keeping us all safe,” he said.

“This motion undermines both of those goals and in no way could I support this motion.”

Councillor David Lewis added he was concerned with the motion “on a number of grounds” including safety concerns for immunocompromised people and the wider community.

“This is not council’s area of responsibility and it’s not an area where we have the expertise to comment and offer advice to the state government on this matter,” he said.

“We’re not here to communicate to the state government the opinions of the community, we’re here to communicate the position and view by this council.

“As for discrimination, there are circumstances where some members of the community are allowed to do things others aren’t, but if it’s for health reasons regarding a contagious disease, then so be it.”

Councillor Paul Truscott however delivered a passionate speech about his position, explaining he was pro-vaccination but also pro-choice.

“I’ve had the double vaccination and I’m absolutely for vaccinations because scientists have wiped out many diseases due to vaccines,” he said.

“Like my colleagues, I have received hundreds of emails with comments including erroneous information from Facebook rather than listening to health experts who have dedicated their life to the subjects.

“Freedom isn’t free, there’s a hefty fee.

“Some soldiers paid a hefty fee for our freedom, so how are we paying for it?

“When it comes to matters of health and safety of our community, we need to listen to health experts.”

“Vaccination mandates are wrong, not vaccination.”

“I’m in favour of the vaccine but it must be voluntary medical treatment and it can’t be coerced.”

Council ultimately voted 7 to 3 to carry the motion to write to the State Government about the impacts mandates will have on the Fraser Coast community.

The push for a show of strength from Fraser Coast councillors against the proposed was flagged earlier in the week with Cr Hansen giving notice he would ask the council to write a letter “expressing our concerns and opposition to the Covid vaccine mandate, noting the discriminatory impact on members of the public, workers and people wanting to frequent council facilities”.

Mr Hansen told the Chronicle his position on the mandate debate was “very black and white”.

Councillor James Hansen will table a motion calling on his colleagues to agree to write to the State Government “expressing our concerns and opposition to the Covid vaccine mandate, noting the discriminatory impact on members of the public, workers and people wanting to frequent council facilities”.

He said the motion had “nothing to do” with being pro or anti-vaccination but “everything to do with freedom of choice and inclusion”.

“You either believe in people’s right to choose or you don’t,” Mr Hansen said

“I’ve always believed in a fair and inclusive society … if this mandate goes through we will create a two tiered society.

“We’d never ask people what their race, religion or sexuality was when entering a business, nor should we ever, and we’d never exclude them on those bases, so why would we ask them their medical status?”.

Mr Hansen claimed the impact on local businesses, should the mandate go ahead, would be “immense” given the potential exclusion of up to 20 per cent of clients, “not to mention the cost of policing (proof of vaccination) for businesses”.

Councillor James Hansen will table a motion calling on his colleagues to agree to write to the State Government “expressing our concerns and opposition to the Covid vaccine mandate, noting the discriminatory impact on members of the public, workers and people wanting to frequent council facilities”.

The Boompa-based dairy farmer and Division One councillor has never shied away from controversy or presenting polarising points of view.

He previously came close to winning the state seat of Maryborough while running for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party, from which he has since cut ties.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and her then candidates for Maryborough, James Hansen.

He’s been a vocal supporter of former US President Donald Trump on social media where he has also been outspoken about his opposition to mask wearing (a position which sparked a petition to have him removed as a councillor) and Covid check-ins.

Should his motion succeed, the Fraser Coast would join several Central Queensland councils in calling on the State Government to reconsider the impact of its proposed policy on regional communities.

The move also follows a series of protests across the state at the weekend, including in the Wide Bay, where a Freedom Rally in Bundaberg was attended by a cast of thousands and similar events in Maryborough and Gympie, which drew hundreds to the Town Hall Green.

Bundaberg's Rally for Freedom on Saturday.

“Anyway you look at it, (the mandate) is bad policy,” Mr Hansen said

“From a discriminatory point of view to a real impact on business and community.”

The mandate motion is among several big-ticket items on Wednesday’s council meeting agenda.

Petitioners against the council’s current proposed Kent Street site for its new Maryborough administration building are set to kick things off in public participation.

The plan for the council’s new Hervey Bay headquarters is up for debate as is the Craignish Lakes development on Pialba Burrum Heads Road.

Originally published as Council votes on COVID mandate motion