A fired up Daniel Andrews has defended his decision to enforce Covid-19 vaccine mandates, bragging making unpopular decisions is what leaders do.
The Victorian Premier hit back at critics at a press conference on Wednesday, a week after he called for the booster shot to be mandated and the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ to be tweaked from two doses to three.
The proposed change is one of many calls Mr Andrews has been slammed for in the last two years – with the Premier imposing stay-at-home orders on Melburnians for more than 260 days in the world’s longest lockdown.
He recently imposed vaccine mandates on various industries and venues while workers in some sectors are now required to get a booster shot, decisions the Premier acknowledged have been unpopular with many.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is campaigning for Covid-19 booster shots to be mandated nationwide
‘We got to 93 per cent (double vaccinated) because Victorians did an amazing thing,’ Mr Andrews told reporters on Wednesday.
‘But the government also made some difficult decisions and made it mandatory for a whole bunch of Victorians in that 93 per cent to go and protect not just themselves but everybody.
‘They’re not easy decisions. In fact, they’ve been unpopular with some.
‘But that’s the nature of leadership in a crisis. If you try and be popular, if you’re all out there play the politics every day, then things don’t go so well.
‘A vaccinated economy works, getting vaccinated works.’
Daniel Andrews defended his state’s vaccine mandates, describing it as a nature of leadership
Mr Andrews’ strong comments sparked a mixed reaction online.
‘Wow wow wow – you FORCED Victorians to do something they chose not to do,’ one woman wrote.
Another added: ‘Leadership would be about making the health advice transparent, about showing care and compassion, about leading with everything in mind and not just focused on one issue. The ‘crisis’ has exposed an appalling lack of leadership politically in Australia.’
But others supported the Premier.
‘The Victorian government provided strong incentives, via a mandate for certain employment sectors. The choice was always yours champ,’ one person tweeted.
Around 41 per cent of eligible Victorians aged over-18 have now their third dose. Pfizer’s vaccine was approved as a booster shot for teens ages 16-17 on Thursday.
Melbourne (pictured) spent more than 260 days under stay at home orders before the sixth lockdown in 18 months ended at midnight October 22
