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Dad Forced To Fire His Unvaccinated Son Due To Victoria’s Rules For Construction Industry

Dad Forced To Fire His Unvaccinated Son Due To Victoria’s Rules For Construction Industry

Peter Wishart said he and his son are devastated.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

An Aussie construction worker has explained his heartache at having to fire his unvaccinated son.

The Victorian state government has brought in new rules to curb the startling number of new Covid-19 cases in the state.

Premier Daniel Andrews said a large portion of infections has been coming from the construction industry and, as a result, they've shut worksites down for two weeks.

He's also mandated that indoor tearooms be shut and that workers will have to prove they've received at least one jab of the Covid-19 vaccine before they're permitted to work.

That's forced Peter Wishart, who runs Facelift For Homes, to deliver some bad news to three of his staff, one of which is his son. They've all been fired and told they can't come back until they've been vaxxed.

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"It was the toughest day of my life yesterday having to come to work and do what I had to do," Mr Wishart told Channel 9's The Today Show.

"Not only my son but two other tradespeople that I've got that have chosen to not get vaccinated for various reasons and medical reasons as well.

"The government has given us no other options. I'm a shadow of my former self at the moment."

The boss added: "My son is obviously devastated but he's the future of my business. I'll do whatever I [have to] do to make sure he takes the business over. I'm nearly retired.

"I was hoping that we weren't going to get mandated. I was assuming it was the large businesses that were going to be mandated, not family businesses like my own."

The 65-year-old is calling on the Andrews government to review their policy and give people with genuine exemptions a chance to continue working.

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The Premier doesn't look like he'll be backing down on the policy and has informed Victorians that the only way out of rules and regulations is getting vaccinated.

He's also previously warned that unvaccinated citizens could miss out on freedoms when the state opens up.

Mr Andrews has begged Victorians to stop protesting and get with the program.

"Acts of violence and disruption won't result in one less case of COVID - in fact it only helps the virus to spread," the Premier said.

"For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts.

"We have come too far to turn back now. Please spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe.

"The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital. It's as simple as that."

Featured Image Credit: Channel 9

Topics: Australia