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Australia needs to have a proper discussion about medical freedoms.

In 2015, conscientious objection and religious exemptions were removed from the immunisation requirements for eligibility for the Family Tax Benefit-A supplement, Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate and now the Child Care subsidy.

No Jab, No Play

The removal of these exemptions became known as “No Jab, No Pay” which, in my view, amounts to undue coercion to receive a medical treatment in breach of the Australian Immunisation Handbook’s criteria for valid consent which provides that such consent must be given “voluntarily in the absence of undue pressure, coercion or manipulation.”

No Jab No Pay is particularly unfair for lower income Australians who are less likely to refuse based on financial reasons, further compounding the effect of that coercion.

Prior to the introduction of the 2015 No Jab No Pay changes, parents could conscientiously object to immunisation for their children for personal, philosophical, religious, or medical reasons and still be eligible for family assistance.

UPDATE: This afternoon the Senate agreed to the introduction of my Bill entitled A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Amendment (No Jab No Pay Repeal) Bill 2025 which if passed would give parents the ability to conscientiously object to the schedule and still be eligible for…

— Senator Alex Antic (@SenatorAntic) November 26, 2025

This was in line with the principle that it is the right of parents to decide for themselves which medical procedures and treatments are appropriate for their children.

In my view, this form of financial coercion shouldn’t happen in Australia, is not fitting for a liberal democracy, and places undue pressure on families of lower socio-economic backgrounds.

With this in mind, I recently introduced the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Amendment (No Jab No Pay Repeal) Bill 2025.

If passed, this Bill would repeal the changes made to family assistance immunisation requirements, meaning that the right to conscientious objection to immunisation while still being eligible for financial family assistance would be restored.

After this Bill was introduced, I received many messages of support from parents across the country.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted my office.

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Republished with thanks to Senator Alex Antic. Image courtesy of Adobe.