COVID-19 has had a massive impact around the world. By global standards, Australia has had considerable success in limiting the spread and consequences of the disease.  

As a community, we have endured measures that impact our liberty and change our natural expectations of enjoying family life.

Many families have faced challenging circumstances, with changes to employment, job loss, and small business shutdowns. Parents have had to adjust to adopting home-based education and care. There are many instances of heartbreaking separations from loved ones as a result of regulations.

Health clinicians, teachers, police, retail staff, and many others deserve our thanks and respect for adapting quickly to help minimise the impacts of COVID-19 on our community. However, some workers have also lost jobs due to mandates, impacting their ability to provide financially and emotionally for their families.

It can also be noted that high vaccination rates have been achieved for diseases far more deadly than COVID-19 without resorting to mandatory vaccination.  Vaccination will enjoy a high take-up only when there is confidence in the system and should be free and convenient through the public health system. 

Family First supports public campaigns to encourage COVID-19 vaccination while maintaining that people have a right to say no and should not be punished for it. 

• Family First does not support mandatory vaccination as we believe citizens have the right to refuse medical treatment as a fundamental right, and the cornerstone of medical ethics.

• Family First does not support mandatory “Vaccine Passports” as these passports reduce people who refuse vaccination to the status of second-class citizens.

• Family First does not support further lockdowns. Restrictions to our liberty and government overreach during COVID-19 have taken a dramatic toll. The impacts include harm to mental health and wellbeing, extra costs for small and family businesses, unemployment and reduced work opportunities, and increased government debt which will take years to repair. We urge that public health measures are cautiously assessed including taking into account information regarding efficacy, the impact on families, and the restrictions on our liberties.

• Family First does support a thorough accreditation system to make sure that approved vaccines have been subject to rigorous testing to assess their safety and efficacy. 

• Above all, Family First does not support permanent measures that negatively impact our freedom.  We must be vigilant that the COVID-19 pandemic is not used as an opportunity to entrench unwarranted or unjustified government intrusion in our lives.