Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) candidate for Herbert, Clynton Hawks, has panned the federal government’s proposed extension to transport workers of changes which ease quarantine rules for those working in food distribution and warehousing to address supermarket shortages. [1]

Mr Hawks, a trucking operator, said bringing those changes to transport workers would put the lives of all transport workers in jeopardy and hasten the spread of the virus through the community.

“Truck drivers and those in the transport industry are the latest group of essential workers to be thrown to the wolves by the federal government in the hope of keeping the wheels of the economy moving,” Mr Hawks said.

“The state and federal governments have collectively mishandled the re-opening of the country and the price of that is the blood of workers in the transport industry,” Mr Hawks said.

“The federal government’s proposal puts the cart before the horse because the availability of the tests to transport businesses is erratic and unpredictable,” Mr Hawks said.

“The requirements relating to taking a RAT is useless if no one can get hold of a test,” Mr Hawks said.

“The proposal to ease restrictions relating to self-isolation after being a close contact will inevitably result in COVID-infected workers remaining active in the workplace, and spreading the virus into the regions.

“The workplace of a truck driver is the supermarket they are delivering to, the warehouse and dock they are loading up at, the petrol station and the depot where they are re-supplying,” Mr Hawks said.

“Every single one of those locations are points transmission, and of infection for someone else,” Mr Hawks said.

“Transport operators based in Townsville are running out west and are risking effectively transporting the virus all over the state and isolated regions with low vaccination rates,” Mr Hawks said.

Mr Hawks said the solution is to maintain the current policy relating to close contacts, and for governments to manage the supply and distribution of available rapid antigen tests to prioritize testing for those working in occupational groups classified as essential, such as transport operators.

Mr Hawks said it is too late to now start finger pointing and attributing blame for Australia’s shortage of tests, but putting transport workers in the firing line for the failures of government is reprehensible.

“The federal government is quick to rapid deploy troops in times of crisis overseas but lacks the ticker to get rapid tests in the hands of essential services.

“Australians deserve the truth: has the federal government forgotten to hit send on the order email for rapid tests?

“I stand strong with the Transport Workers Union in calling for the feds to stay strong on the plan and to stop moving the goal posts when it suits them; businesses and health officials are trying to keep up.

“To keep the wheels turning in the Australian economy we need a clear and consistent plan, essential workers need to rapid test before they go to work if they have been a close contact or feel symptoms coming on, it’s as simple as that.

“Let’s get food on our shelves and let’s get Australia moving,” Mr Hawks said. “But not at the cost of Australian workers.”

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/transport-aviation-workers-next-in-line-to-have-quarantine-rules-eased-20220110-p59n79.html