Freedom is a right in a free country, not a reward the government can give to obedient citizens, Gympie’s federal MP Llew O’Brien said this week.
Mr O’Brien emphasised he was pro-vaccination as far as his health was concerned, but said he was worried about small businesses and their workers, especially in hospitality and tourism.
And he called for an end to discrimination against those with a different view.
His call echoed concerns, not only from intentionally unvaccinated people, but from some of their employers, especially in the region’s hard-pressed hospitality industry, with unvaccinated staff no longer allowed to work.
“Vaccination is the most important protection measure we have against the health, social and economic implications of further Covid-19 outbreaks,“ he said.
“I chose to receive the vaccine, as did my family, and while I encourage everyone who is able to be vaccinated to receive the vaccine, I also support every person’s right to make their own medical choices that are right for them.“
“The restrictions being imposed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk place an unfair and prohibitive burden on businesses.
“Throughout this pandemic, the Queensland government has seized our freedom.
“Now that some restrictions are easing for some people, the Queensland Government expects us to be grateful for the return of some of those freedoms.
“Our freedom isn’t a reward. Our freedom is our right.
“The Queensland Government has given itself unprecedented powers and it is now overreaching,“ he said.
Government employment prohibitions would create a divided state with the government “thrusting its sweeping powers of intrusion into where we can go, who we can see, and where we can work, for as long as it can.
“Cafes, restaurants and hospitality venues in Wide Bay have been pushed to the brink by nearly two years of lockdowns and closed borders, and should have been able to look forward to increased trade this Christmas.
“I have received phone calls from business owners in despair about what these restrictions mean for them, their staff, and their livelihoods
“Our local cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs face the unfair double-whammy of enforcing these restrictions and the losses incurred from refusing service to paying customers – and worse, the heartbreak of having to sack capable and hardworking unvaccinated staff members.
“Small business owners aren’t police, they aren’t public health officials – but the Queensland Government expects them to be the front line enforcers of its coercive vaccine push.
“Business owners can’t afford to lose staff, nor should they have to put on additional team members to dictate who can spend money at their venue.
“The government is shifting the responsibility and financial pressure onto business owners and their staff.
“If Premier Palaszczuk fears hospitals will be overwhelmed, she should have prioritised spending on health services long before now.
“Queensland has received an adequate supply of vaccines to ensure everyone who wants a jab could have received one by now.
“It’s time to lift the restrictions and give our freedom back to us.
