Labor has called for a $300 payment to fully vaccinated Australians to speed up the vaccine rollout and stimulate the economy.
There are concerns the COVID-19 vaccination program, which so far has delivered 12.4 million doses, has been too slow and is putting Australia’s health and economic recovery at risk.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese wants the government to provide a one-off $300 payment to every person who has been fully vaccinated by December 1.
Labor says offering a $300 payment to fully vaccinated Australians will give the program a much-needed shot in the arm. Pictured: Vaccination in Homebush, Sydney on Monday
This would include those who have already been vaccinated.
‘The government has failed on its two jobs this year, the rollout of the vaccine and fixing quarantine,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘It needs to use every measure at its disposal to protect Australians and our economy.’
The plan is expected to cot $6billion, which Labor hopes would be spent to boost in the economy.
‘As well as of course being good for health, this is aimed at stimulating the economy.
‘You give $300 cash payments to Australians, they will spend it, creating and supporting jobs in their local communities,’ Mr Albanese said.
But the government slammed the scheme as ‘insulting’ and said it was unnecessary.
‘The evidence says this is unnecessary and won’t work. Frankly, it is insulting to the many millions of Australians who have already turned out to get a jab,’ Finance Minister Simon Birmingham told Nine.
Residents queue up for their dose of the Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at the Homebush vaccination centre in Sydney on August2
Speaking on the Today Show Mr Albanese said he hoped the cash incentive would get people talking in places, such as the workplace. Pictured: A vaccination in Sydney
He said cash payments offered in the US and UK as well as lotteries were failing to increase the jab rate substantially.
Mr Birmingham said 79 per cent of over 70s have had their first dose, showing Australians are happy to get jabbed for the health benefits rather than for cash.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged the government will prefer to use restrictions on the unvaccinated – such as banning them from public events – as an incentive to get jabbed.
The government has set a target of 70 per cent vaccine coverage for lockdowns to be minimised and 80 per cent for them to be a thing of the past.
There are concerns the COVID-19 vaccination program, which so far has delivered 12.4 million doses, has been too slow and is putting Australia’s health and economic recovery at risk. Pictured: Residents in Bondi, Sydney last week
‘The faster this is achieved, the faster the recovery as we emerge from the lockdowns that are bleeding hundreds of millions of dollars a day from the nation’s finances,’ Mr Albanese said.
Speaking on the Today Show Mr Albanese said he hoped the cash incentive would get people talking in places, such as the workplace.
He said: ‘This is a national project. And providing this incentive is a common sense solution.
‘What it would do as well is it would spark conversation, conversations around the workplace, around communities.
‘”Have you got your 300 bucks yet?”, is a conversation that we want. Anything that starts the conversation about the need to get vaccinated is a good thing.’
