For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here.<\/p>\n
National Australia Bank\u2019s chief executive Ross McEwan has set the day for when Victoria should open up, saying November 2 should become \u201cFreedom Day for Victorians\u201d and calling for more certainty around what the community can expect once vaccination targets are met.<\/p>\n
Mr McEwan claimed 70 per cent of the Victorian population would be vaccinated within 69 days, which should trigger the removal of lockdowns in time for Melbourne Cup Day on November 2. He said there needs to be more clarity from government leaders around what each stage of reopening will look like, which would motivate more Australians to get vaccinated.<\/p>\n
\u201cClarity is needed,\u201d Mr McEwan told an online forum hosted by the Australian British Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been locked down for 206 days, or whatever days we have over the last year or so, and people in New South Wales have been locked down for nine weeks, we need, \u2018this is what you get when you actually get to this level\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
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NAB chief Ross McEwan says November 2 should be \u201cFreedom Day for Victorians\u201d as the state reaches 70 per cent vaccination.<\/span>Credit:<\/span>Eamon Gallagher<\/cite><\/p>\n The United Kingdom dubbed July 19 Freedom Day as high vaccination takeup empowered Boris Johnson\u2019s government to scrap mandatory indoor mask-wearing and social distancing. Mr McEwan called for a similar approach to be taken in Victoria and around Australia to allow life to return to normality.<\/p>\n \u201cJust as other countries around the world have done. You\u2019ve seen it in the UK, I\u2019ve got a daughter there, a son-in-law and two little kiddies, life has just moved on. They\u2019re off to Europe this week for 10 days. It\u2019s like \u2018come on\u2019,\u201d the bank chief said.<\/p>\n \u201cYes of course they are getting lots and lots of cases up there and yes, there are unfortunately deaths, but you know they\u2019ve actually accepted that this is part of it, we\u2019ve got our vaccinations and the country is moving.\u201d<\/p>\n NAB is the country\u2019s leading business bank and Mr McEwan said small-to-medium sized businesses, which were the \u201clifeblood\u201d of the economy, needed greater certainty from the government.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the danger for businesses is the unknown. Businesses don\u2019t invest as well when you\u2019ve got unknowns,\u201d Mr McEwan said. \u201cGive them the dates or the timeframes around when we\u2019re at 70 per cent, what will we get?\u201d<\/p>\n There has been disagreement between state premiers around how to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks once vaccination targets are met, which Mr McEwan said was not helpful. \u201cThe national cabinet came up with a plan, and we should stick with it. Let\u2019s play one country, it\u2019s called Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n The big four banks have been proactive in encouraging staff to get vaccinated, but have stopped short of mandating the jab. Mr McEwan pointed to an internal staff survey that found only 10 per cent of NAB workers did not want to be vaccinated, but said these were not set views.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a good chat to a chap who runs a service inside our business here who said, \u2018no I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll get vaccinated\u2019. I said, \u2018well mate, that\u2019s okay, but what if I told you you\u2019re not coming into my building without a vaccination?\u2019 He said, \u2018Ross I\u2019ll get a vaccination\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019ve moved him into the 90 per cent and that\u2019s what we need to do, show them why we should be doing this. Most Australians will do the right thing.\u201c<\/p>\n The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day\u2019s trading. <\/i><\/b>Get it each we<\/i><\/b>e<\/i><\/b>kday afternoon<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Viewed in Business<\/h2>\n
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