|
|
|
|
Are France, Italy and New York City providing a glimpse of what might soon come for Australian states and territories?
All three have recently mandated “vaccine passports” (or health passes) for entry to many public spaces, including restaurants, gyms, pools and museums.
Katie Attwell and Marco Rizzi write today there is scope for a similar system in Australia from a legal standpoint, but implementing one would be complicated.
For one, they say, a broad-based government mandate without adequate vaccine supply could not only be subject to a court challenge, it would be political suicide.
And a mandate like this needs to have broad public support. The authors’ research suggests Australians supported government vaccine mandates in theory last year, but this might not be the case now, given public perceptions of the government’s vaccine rollout failure.
Vaccine passports are a better option than mandating “jabs for jobs”, Michelle Grattan argues. So far, the Australian community has been remarkably compliant on measures to deal with the virus — the fact we are lagging on vaccination is not because people don’t want to have it. So it is likely we can reach the 70–80% target without going further down the difficult path of compulsion.
|
Justin Bergman
Senior Deputy Editor: Politics + Society
|
|
|
CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA
Katie Attwell, The University of Western Australia; Marco Rizzi, The University of Western Australia
Research shows Australians are broadly supportive of vaccine mandates. But to appear legitimate, a mandate needs to serve clearly articulated public health goals and be proportionate.
|
Tara Croser/AAP
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
As the nation proceeds towards the targets of having 70% and 80% fully vaccinated, we are lagging not because of the public’s reluctance but because of the faults in the rollout.
|
Joel Carrett/AAP
Richard Holden, UNSW
The independence of Australia’s central bank doesn’t make it infallible. It should welcome peer review.
|
Shutterstock
Garry Jennings, University of Sydney
COVID can cause heart inflammation, abnormal heart rhythms, blood clots in the legs and lungs, stroke, and heart failure.
|
Shutterstock
Laura Schuijers, The University of Melbourne
IPCC reports are often used as legal tool for bringing the powerful to account. And the more Australia’s governments and businesses lag on climate change, the more litigation we’re likely to see.
|
Shutterstock
Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh, Monash University; Carlo Perrotta, Monash University; Christine Grové, Monash University
Year 12 students in NSW affected by lockdowns will be able to apply for special consideration for exams and special projects. Here’s what Victorian teachers said about a similar policy last year.
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Therese O'Sullivan, Edith Cowan University; Mandy Richardson, Edith Cowan University
With a bit of preparation, role play and modelling the type of behaviour you’d like to see in your child, the process can be plain sailing.
-
Michael Plank, University of Canterbury
The challenges of containing inevitable outbreaks once borders reopen should not be underestimated. That’s why elimination remains the guiding principle and mass vaccination the imperative.
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Shayne McGregor, Monash University; Nerilie Abram, Australian National University; Ruth Reef, Monash University
The IPCC report has laid out some alarming sea level projections for the future. But the relationship between sea level rise and real-world risk is complex.
-
Simon Torok, The University of Melbourne; James Goldie, Monash University; Linden Ashcroft, The University of Melbourne
With climate action more crucial than ever, the IPCC needs to communicate clearly and strongly to as many people as possible. So how is it going so far?
|
|
Education
|
-
Simon Crook, University of Sydney; Tom Gordon, University of Sydney
Teachers are right in selecting age-appropriate scientific models and teaching these in age-appropriate ways – even though the science they present isn’t the whole story.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Julianne Schultz AM, FAHA, Griffith University
Exclusion has been central to utopian ideas of Australia since before Federation. It still lingers. To progress in this climate-challenged century, Australia’s foundational wrongs must be righted.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Madeline Gleeson, UNSW; Natasha Yacoub, UNSW
That no Australian government in almost a decade has successfully brought this policy to a formal close is astonishing. In fact, Australia ceased transferring new arrivals offshore in 2014.
|
|
|
|
| |
Featured jobs
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
Featured Events & Courses
|
|
UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, 2052, Australia — UNSW
|
|
Zoom Webinar, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia — University of Sydney
|
|
|
UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, 2052, Australia — UNSW
|
|
Online, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia — The University of Melbourne
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
