Julie Collins launches fresh call for $300 vaccination payment
A $300 payment to everyone who has had the Covid jab by December 1 would increase vaccination rates and help the economy, a federal MP says.
Tasmania
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A FEDERAL MP has renewed a push for a $300 cash incentive payment to ensure Tasmanians get Covid vaccinations and the state’s borders can reopen.
And Tasmanian businesses and unions want federal support for casual workers to get vaccinated.
Labor member for Franklin Julie Collins said the party’s plan of a $300 payment to everyone who has had the Covid jab by December 1 would be a further encouragement and help the economy.
“With the Premier [Peter Gutwein] proposing an ambitious target to reopen borders, reunite families and help our tourism industry, it’s time to further encourage Tasmanians to get vaccinated,” Ms Collins said.
“We cannot leave any part of our state with low vaccination rates so we should be doing anything possible to help.”
Labor announced its $300 one-off cash payment in August arguing it would help businesses and workers struggling from lockdowns. It is estimated it would cost $6bn or about $180m in Tasmania.
Ms Collins said the government needed to do more to encourage more Tasmanians to get the jab.
“We know how important it is to increase vaccination rates. It is the key to making sure our hospitals and health system don’t get overloaded, and get our economy moving again,” she said.
Mr Gutwein said the best incentive for vaccinating was people knowing they were protecting “themselves, their loved ones and their community from Covid”.
“I believe the vast majority of Tasmanians are incentivised by these goals and I encourage them not to hesitate to get vaccinated,” he said.
Liberal Senator Eric Abetz rejected a $300 cash payment, describing it as a “bribe”.
“Labor’s answer to everything is to throw money at it,” he said.
“Tasmanians will make up their own mind whether or not they want to get the vaccine and don’t need a bribe to do so.”
Senator Abetz was confident Tasmania would reach 90 per cent of people vaccinated.
“But I’m concerned about setting timelines and I think mandating vaccinations for some employment is untenable,” he said.
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey was worried about access to the vaccine for casual employees.
“I don’t think health decisions should be based on cash incentives,” he said.
“I think there is a need for the government to support casual employees to get vaccinated because not all businesses can afford to be without their casual staff.”
Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday commended Labor’s push to try to make up for the federal government’s failure to “execute a consistent message on the need to be vaccinated”.
“The best use of support would be paid vaccine leave for casuals to allow them to get vaccinated and time to recover,” Ms Munday said.
“Tasmania has the highest rate of casual employees in the country and if someone makes an appointment to be vaccinated that means they have to tell the boss they can’t work that shift.
“A lot of Tasmanians are living in poverty and they have been thrown to the wolves because of Covid.”
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief Luke Martin said it was probably too late for a cash incentive.
“If you need a financial incentive you might need to take a deep, long hard look at yourself,” he said.
“You should be vaccinated to protect yourself, your family and friends and kids who work in hospitality or retail.
“Just look at the economic cost of the lockdowns in Sydney – I don’t think Tasmanians need more incentive than that.”
Saturday, October 2, 2021:
A Tasmanian government minister, who has cancelled a trip to Queensland to see family, is urging parents to vaccinate their children.
Jane Howlett, the Minister for Small Business, Sport, Women and Racing, was due to fly to Brisbane on Sunday afternoon but cancelled the trip on Saturday for fear of lockdowns.
“I was going to head to Queensland to see my son and his family tomorrow afternoon but I’ve just made the decision to cancel the trip and push it out,” Ms Howlett said at a press conference on Saturday.
“I can’t afford to go into two weeks quarantine returning home, we’ve got parliament coming up.
“Unfortunately it was one of those decisions like many Tasmanians have had to make.
“We know how things change every day – just look at the (Covid) numbers in Victoria today – it’s terrible.”
Ms Howlett said parents should get their children aged over 12 vaccinated.
“We’ve got one week of school holidays left and I’d just like to encourage all families [to] grab their children, go to your nearest pharmacy and get vaccinated,” she said.
For Tasmanians already holidaying in Queensland, she urged them to check the Public Health website for updates on any lockdowns or hot spots.
Friday, October 1, 2021:
PREMIER Peter Gutwein has delivered a stern message to Flight Centre, which is preparing to mount a legal challenge against internal border closures if the state does not reveal “reasonable” plans to rejoin the nation in coming weeks.
The tourism giant has accused Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia — who all have a hard stance on border closures — of costing the company $100 million a month.
“My first priority and the priority of people in this room is Tasmania’s health,” Mr Gutwein said.
“To be frank I couldn’t care less if the head of Flight Centre or any other business wanted to take Tasmania to court because our position will always be the health and safety of Tasmania.”
Tighter travel restrictions with Victoria will come into place at midnight tonight after the mainland state recorded more than 2500 cases in the past two days.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said this was “an alarming rise”.
“In response to that increase from midnight tonight 12:01 tomorrow morning, Tasmania will be introducing increased travel restrictions with Victoria, the local government area of Hume,” Mr Gutwein said.
“Importantly as well there are further additional 18 government areas that have been identified as high-risk. If you have been in one of those government areas you will not be able to enter Tasmania.”
The premier said the new high-risk LGAs would be listed on the coronavirus website, with the rest of Victoria remaining high risk level 2.
As of today, 72.6% of Tasmanians have had first dose and 58.4% are fully vaccinated
For those undertaking home quarantine, you will have to be double vaccinated.
Mr Gutwein said if people had travel planned from Victoria after midnight any G2G passes will be cancelled and you will need to apply to identify if you’ve been in those level 1 locations.
He also gave an update on Tasmania’s border reopening plan.
“Our planning remains on track to open borders before Christmas,” Mr Gutwein said.
“Our aim is to reach 90% of over 16s by the first of December.
“We will be releasing the modelling along with our border opening plan. This modelling will be released in mid-October the week beginning the 18th of October so that Tasmanians have confidence in knowing what the risks are and how we plan to manage them and the risks of opening borders up.”
Thursday, September 30:
PREMIER Peter Gutwein will take his defiant stand on border closures to Friday’s national cabinet meeting as federal colleagues urged him to stick to the plan for reopening.
The Tasmanian government won’t consider fully opening borders until the state hits 90 per cent vaccination rate and 100 per cent of people having access to jabs.
Mr Gutwein also wants fresh modelling and to see the trend in case numbers in NSW and Victoria before making a decision.
On Wednesday, Mr Gutwein claimed Tasmania would suffer “upwards of” 14,900 cases, 590 hospital admissions, 97 ICU admissions and nearly 100 deaths over six months.
But the Doherty Institute modelling on which his assumption is based is a national outbreak which infects nearly 750,000 people within six months.
Australia has experienced 105,000 infections in the 18 months of the pandemic so far.
The Doherty Institute stressed “the deliberately artificial nature of our assumption that Australia’s population would experience a uniform national epidemic”.
The national plan agreed to by all states allows for the easing of state and national border restrictions once vaccination rates reach 80 per cent.
These include an exemption from domestic travel restrictions for vaccinated people and the gradual reopening of international travel with “safe countries”.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck urged Mr Gutwein to stick to the plan.
“Under the consolidation phase of the National Plan, 80 per cent of adults aged 16 and over will be fully vaccinated,” he said.
“This will allow residents of all states and territories, including Tasmania, to live with the virus like any other infectious disease, while minimising serious illness and death.
“We know from extensive modelling and the experience of other nations, that high rates of vaccination offer a pathway to normality.
“As previously stated, I am confident any decisions made by Premier Gutwein will based on the ongoing advice of National Cabinet and the AHPPC and serve the best interests of all Tasmanians.”
Senator Eric Abetz said he was confident the Premier would make the right decision, as he had throughout the pandemic.
“We can’t force people to be vaccinated and we can’t live with lockdowns, border restrictions, mental health issues, huge government debt, and jobs losses forever,” he said.
“The rest of the world is moving forward with their lives and eventually we need to as well.”
Data from Tuesday shows Tasmania at 75.8 per cent first dose rates and 57.8 per cent fully vaccinated. The state is expected to reach 90 per cent by December 1.
More than 3000 doses are being administered daily and the rate is increasing.
Nationally 77.3 per cent of eligible people have had their first dose and 53.4 per cent have had their second dose.
An announcement on when the state will would relax border restrictions is expected to be made before Christmas.
Tasmania remains in a state of emergency.
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