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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2022-02-10 Daily Xml
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Question Time

COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccinations

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Treasurer regarding COVID.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It was reported today in InDaily and I quote:

Police, teachers, medical staff and sports stars (not to mention administrators and presenters) are losing their jobs for refusing the COVID jab, but evidently if you work in the Premier's office it's business as usual, more or less.

Steven Marshall is taking every opportunity to urge South Australians to get the jab, but his pleas appear to be falling on deaf ears in some close quarters—InDaily understands that a member of his own media unit, which broadly handles PR for his various ministers, is yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

The article goes on to conclude:

Still, it's good to know that while the Government is stepping down unvaxxed frontline workers, they're still doing their bit for individual freedom where they can.

The opposition has been informed that at least two of the Treasurer's own staff remain unvaccinated. My questions to the Treasurer are:

1. Are all of your staff vaccinated and, if not, how many are yet to receive a single dose?

2. What risks do unvaccinated staff present to the community, in your role as the Treasurer and responsible for Electorate Services?

3. How many tens of thousands of public servants under the responsibility of the minister for the public sector have a mandated requirement to be vaccinated?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:25): In relation to the last question, I would have no idea what the number is. It would be a significant number, I suspect, given that significant numbers of the health portfolio and aged-care services portfolio would certainly be incorporated into that. Given that health is our biggest budget portfolio, it is likely to be a very significant number.

Nevertheless, there are significant other sections of the public sector which are not mandated in relation to their employment requirements. They would include, I am sure, Premier and Cabinet, Treasury, and a variety of other agencies which are not designated as frontline service agencies such as health, aged-care services, and disability services as my colleague reminds me.

There are a range which have already been publicly announced where either by direction or otherwise—I think it is by direction, it has been mandated—but it doesn't apply with large swathes of the public sector. In relation to what number in the broader public sector are not vaccinated, I would have no idea in relation to that particular position.

The government's position is quite clear. We urge everybody to be vaccinated to the appropriate level. It probably explains why I was asked the question at a press conference if I was vaccinated or not. It seemed to come from left field and I had no idea why I was being asked. The answer to that question, if anyone is interested, because I have great knowledge of that, is yes, I am vaccinated and I have had a booster. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't have any side effects from either the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer booster. Not everyone can say that.

I don't know the answer to the question as to how many of those who are not mandated are vaccinated or not, but certainly, from the government's viewpoint, we urge everybody to do it. I'm certainly not going to go into the personal issues of my ministerial office or indeed the Premier's media advisory staff. I have no direct knowledge of the Premier's media advisory staff, their vaccination status or not, frankly. I'm certainly not going to enter into a discussion about the personal arrangements of staff within my office.

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