A growing number of Coalition MPs are speaking out against the use of vaccine certificates for domestic travel and attendance at venues and events, with at least two threatening to cross the floor if the government brings on legislation.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Wednesday revealed the government’s expenditure review committee of cabinet last week backed a proposal for QR code vaccination certificates for international travel, linking people’s vaccination status on their MyGov accounts with new digital certificates.
Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz said while he encouraged everyone to consider getting vaccinated as soon as possible, “vaccine passports should not be a blunt instrument to force people to be vaccinated by locking them out of society”.
“Denied or limited access to government and private businesses goods and services should not be based on one’s medical status and the idea of a domestic ‘vaccine passport’ is a dangerous one that can create a class of citizens,” he said.
“The question then becomes, and which no-one seems willing to discuss, is how far do the authorities go to restrict these freedoms?
“How many vaccinations and booster shots or other medical procedures will be required on a person’s vaccine passport to allow them to participate as full citizens? This is a slippery slope. Once the genie is out of the bottle, there will be no turning back and freedom will be seriously compromised”.