NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has been accused of a “gross” double standard after Liberal MPs refused to reveal their vaccination status.
Labor MP Walt Secord questioned which of his parliamentary colleagues remained unvaccinated after strict mandates were enforced across other sectors last October.
Mr Secord called on the NSW government to take action against the “hypocrisy” in parliament.
“The premier and his government has set one rule for the public in workers and another for its own MPs,” he said.
“They forced unvaccinated workers out of the workforce, but they refuse to take action against their own members of their party.”
More than 1000 public service employees in NSW lost their jobs after refusing to be vaccinated.
Teachers and paramedics, as well as workers in aged care, transport, airports and quarantine are legally bound by the NSW government to be double vaccinated.
“What kind of message does it send when the government is kicking workers out of their jobs while allowing its own MPs to come in and out of parliament and evade the very rules their party and government enforces on others?” Mr Secord said.
Mr Perrottet said the jab would not be made mandatory for members of parliament.
“I don‘t know the personal medical issues and decisions of members in the Liberal Party,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“My expectation is that members of parliament are vaccinated.”
The refusal to mandate vaccination for politicians has sparked outrage in NSW where teachersxjmtzyw are mandated to be triple jabbed against Covid.
Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos told reporters the move was “poor form”.
“We’ve got our elected officials demonstrating contradictions and hypocrisy that is deafening,” he said.
School staff were told on January 10 a third jab would be mandatory but Education Minister Sarah Mitchell is yet to confirm a date for the rule to come into place.
In WA, Legalise Cannabis Party MP Sophia Moermond was last week suspended from parliament after refusing to provide proof of vaccination.
