The Queensland Government has said unvaccinated residents will lose their freedoms on December 17, once the state is expected to reach its 80% vaccination mark.
The state government told Queenslanders on Tuesday that those who have “done what we have asked of them” will be allowed to keep their freedoms as a “reward,” while the unvaccinated will be placed under heavy restrictions that will be enforced by state police.
From December 17, authorities will be enforcing a ban on unvaccinated Queenslanders, prohibiting them from entering and working at most venues, including hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs, cinemas, libraries, music and arts festivals, theme parks, and sports stadiums.
The new rules will also prohibit unvaccinated people from visiting hospitals, aged care, prisons, and disability services, except in end-of-life or emergency situations, such as childbirth.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said police expect venues to ask for proof of vaccination and to ask patrons to leave if no evidence is provided.
“Non-compliance will not be tolerated and there will be enforcement action,” she said.
.@QldPolice will enforce new requirements at venues and businesses once the changes announced today come into effect.
The fully vaccinated will be rewarded to keep our freedoms from 17 December or when Queensland reaches 80% of eligible Queenslanders double dosed.
QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a post on Twitter, only the fully vaccinated will be allowed to keep their freedoms as a “reward” for getting vaccinated.
“Fully vaccinated Queenslanders will be rewarded to keep our freedoms from 17 December or when we reach the 80% double dosed milestone,” she said.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles similarly urged Queenslanders to begin their “vaccination journey” now if they would like to enjoy the rewards granted to those who have “done what we asked of them.”
“Most Queenslanders have already done what we asked of them,” he said during a Tuesday press conference. “Nearly 80% of us are already on our journey to be fully vaccinated. And we always said that those Queenslanders who were vaccinated would be rewarded for getting vaccinated with more freedoms and today we are outlining what those freedoms will be.
Miles explained: “From the 17th of December, people who are vaccinated will be able to go to the pub, to nightclubs, to concerts, to events at stadiums, to restaurants, to cafes, to visit loved ones in nursing homes, to state-run galleries and museums.
“Those who are vaccinated by the 17th of December will be able to go to Christmas parties at venues. To New Year’s Eve parties at venues, to weddings. Importantly, without any restrictions.
“This is a reward for those who have been vaccinated so that their lives can get back to normal. It’s safe, because we will know that everyone else who is with them at these venues is also vaccinated,” he said.
Miles went on to say: “To everyone who’s not on their vaccination journey, that 20% of eligible adults, it’s not too late. There is plenty of time this week to go and start getting vaccinated. Get your first vaccination. And so, from the 17th of December, you’ll be able to enjoy the same rewards as all of these other Queenslanders.”
Of course, the QLD Government, with the help of the mainstream media, are framing the move as cause for celebration by keeping the focus on the freedoms the fully vaccinated are so graciously permitted the keep.
What it will mean for the remaining 20% of Queenslanders, however, is nothing short of medical apartheid and blatant discrimination.
One Nation Leader Senator Pauline Hanson said the move was “coercion pure and simple,” adding, “it has no place in a free society.”
On October 21, Senator Hanson introduced the COVID-19 Vaccination Status (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill 2021 into the Senate.
According to the Senator, if supported, this legislation would end the discrimination based on individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status we see being inflicted on innocent Australians by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, statutory authorities, local governments and businesses.
“This legislation must be passed with urgency in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of Australians who exercise their right to choose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” she said.
A petition launched by One Nation opposing mandatory jabs has so far gained more than 30,000 signatures.
What these politicians need to realise is that freedom is not a “reward” for “good” behaviour. Freedom is a God-given right. It’s not something the state can deny or withhold in order to blackmail or manipulate citizens to “do what the state asks of them.” Good governments secure human rights. Good governments protect the people’s freedoms, especially from those who pose the greatest threat to their freedoms: themselves.
