Hundreds of frontline emergency services workers could receive a huge cash payout after a class action lawsuit was filed against the Queensland government over Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
The legal action was filed on behalf of more than 300 officers from the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service in the High Court in Brisbane on Friday.
Billionaire Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer announced in a statement uploaded to X that he is funding the lawsuit.
‘We are standing up for the more than 300 police and paramedics who are seeking compensation from the State of Queensland because many people have lost their jobs, been injured by the COVID-19 vaccines and have been unlawfully punished for not following Queensland’s vaccination guidelines followed up. police and EMS,” Palmer said.
“Queensland police and paramedics have been let down by their unions. Their human rights were ignored.”
The move comes after the High Court ruled in favor of 74 police officers and QAS workers in February this year, who launched legal action against the mandates.
Judge Glen Martin ruled that the rules imposed on police were unlawful and ineffective for ambulance crews.
The rules, issued to emergency workers in 2021 and 2022, required staff to receive the vaccine and relevant booster doses.
Hundreds of frontline emergency services workers could receive a huge cash payout after a class action lawsuit was filed against the Queensland government over Covid-19 vaccine mandates
Those who did not comply were faced with suspensions or dismissals.
Former specialist officer Senior Constable Luke Jones is among the first responders included in the case filed on Friday.
Mr Jones was suspended in 2021 before being sacked earlier this year after refusing to be vaccinated.
He claims he has lost more than $400,000 in wages and has struggled with the toll of being fired from the force as he fights to get his job back.
“The position I was in involved chasing down some of the most notorious, dangerous people on the streets and that’s where I felt I could make the biggest impact,” Mr Jones told the newspaper. ABC.
‘It was my dream job. I worked very hard for that and to have it taken away from me, so suddenly out of nowhere, I struggled with my identity for a long time, because I didn’t know who I was and what I wanted to do.’
Attorney Justin Sibley of Sibley Attorneys, who represents those included in the lawsuit, alleged Ms. Carroll failed to consider officers’ rights when the mandates were imposed.
“What the QPS did to all its staff, including those who complied under duress, was unlawful,” Mr Sibley told the Courier mail.
“Those who are still excluded from the police force because they were wrongfully dismissed are perpetuating that injustice.”
Former specialist officer Senior Constable Luke Jones (pictured) is among the first responders included in the case filed on Friday. Mr Jones was suspended in 2021 before being sacked earlier this year after refusing to be vaccinated
In the photo: Australia during lockdown in 2021
A Queensland Police spokesperson said police would not comment on the lawsuit but acknowledged the role officers played in complying with the mandate.
“The QPS recognizes members who have complied with the former commissioner’s directions regarding mandatory vaccination, to support the safety of the Queensland community,” the spokesperson said.
‘The High Court found that the former Commissioner failed to take proper account of human rights as required by the Human Rights Act 2019 when issuing the Directions, and that this was the only basis on which the Directions were unlawful.’
“As such, the QPS maintains that it was appropriate for those service members to be vaccinated.”
The spokesperson said officers, who were suspended for failing to comply with directions, have since returned to work following the revocation of their suspensions.