I welcome the decision by South Australian Police Commissioner and State Coordinator Grant Stevens to scrap vaccine mandates for public sector employees in South Australia’s education and transport sectors.I raised concerns in Federal Parliament in October last year regarding the decision to mandate vaccines in those sectors.
At that time, I made it clear that I did not endorse mandatory vaccinations and that I did not support mandating vaccines by stealth. I agreed with compulsory vaccinations for those working with our most vulnerable, such as Aged Care workers but noted that extending this principle to other vocations was a step too far as it impinged on the most basic of human rights.
I am now interested to understand what has changed to cause the State Coordinator to alter his position.
I’m also interested, as I think many people are, to learn what evidence was relied upon in making that decision in the first place.
In the circumstances, I’m calling for a Commission of Inquiry to ascertain how this decision was arrived at.
This decision has impacted livelihoods and in some cases, caused significant loss. Accordingly, it is imperative that there be a detailed inquiry regarding the same.