During committee consideration of the bill, Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall called on the government to enact transparent and “fit-for-purpose” laws rather than extended emergency powers.
As debate on the bill continued on Wednesday, Mr Bleijie went beyond the comments of Ms Bates, who called for accountability and transparency around the “unprecedented legislative changes” needed in the first two years of the pandemic that should not remain longer than necessary.
“Let the record show I am pro-vaccination,” Mr Bleijie told Parliament on Wednesday afternoon. “But I am also pro-choice. I have always been pro-choice with respect to vaccine mandates. I do not support vaccine mandates, I never have.”
He later clarified that he was speaking about business restrictions, not the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee guidelines around mandates for health and aged-care staff, which are backed by the party.
Several Queensland-based federal Coalition MPs have threatened to withhold their votes over opposition to vaccine mandates, which have sparked warnings about radicalisation if kept in place too long.
Government whip Don Brown suggested Mr Bleijie had come up with a “new policy on the run” to not support the bill unless amended, and to undercut Ms Bates. He called on party leader David Crisafulli to speak during the debate to “clear this up”.
Labor’s Logan MP, Linus Power, suggested any member who voted against the bill was “dog whistling” to protesters outside Parliament who are calling for it to be blocked.
The LNP’s Toowoomba North MP, Trevor Watts, suggested Dr Gerrard’s advice was simply “propaganda for political purposes” if not made public.
“When does this dystopian government stop reaching into people’s lives and making them scared of their own shadow,” he said.
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Minister Grace Grace, referring to Mr Watts’ 2020 fine over a street gathering with neighbours, said: “You only have to listen to [him] to know why he had to resign from the shadow ministry.
“People think we’re out of the woods. Look around you, we are not out of the woods yet.”
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Deputy LNP leader decries vaccine mandates amid debate over pandemic powers
Source: Philippines Alive
