A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Amendment (No Jab No Pay Repeal) Bill 2025; Second Reading

Babet introduced the bill, arguing it restored the conscientious objection pathway removed in 2015. Babet stated that the policy punished low-income families financially for making lawful medical decisions, whereas wealthy families could absorb the cost. Babet cited a 2004 study suggesting the policy mainly encouraged families already willing to vaccinate to catch up, rather than changing the minds of objectors. Babet emphasised that informed consent must be voluntary and free from coercion.

Steele-John opposed the bill, affirming the Greens' support for universal access to vaccinations and public health prevention services. Steele-John acknowledged concerns that the policy penalised low-income families but attributed low vaccination rates to structural barriers in healthcare access rather than active refusal. Steele-John called for increased GP rebates, better rural health services, and an independent study into the policy's impacts. Steele-John characterised the bill as a scare campaign intended to reduce vaccination rates and put children at risk.

Whitten supported the bill, arguing it restored parental autonomy and removed government coercion from family assistance payments. Whitten claimed the policy rationed the right to choose by income, penalising those who needed financial support while allowing wealthier families to opt out without penalty. Whitten drew parallels to pandemic-era mandates, arguing that compulsion eroded trust and that persuasion should suffice if vaccines were truly safe and effective. Whitten stated the bill treated children aged seven or older as meeting requirements, ending ongoing penalties for early childhood decisions.

Roberts supported the bill, citing falling vaccination rates and growing distrust in health authorities following the pandemic response. Roberts argued that coercion violated ethical guidelines on informed consent and that the government had failed to prove vaccine safety through placebo-controlled trials. Roberts claimed that improved hygiene and sanitation, rather than vaccines, had historically reduced disease incidence. Roberts also criticised the lack of vaccination screening for new arrivals and called for independent safety testing of childhood vaccines.