Calling it quits: Greens candidate for Nicholls Nickee Freeman has resigned over the party’s support for vaccine mandates.
Greens candidate for Nicholls Nickee Freeman has resigned as the party’s candidate for this year’s Federal Election due to the party’s vaccine mandate and defected to the Australian Values Party.
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She told The News that she would be joining the Australian Values Party, as it was pro-choice for the vaccine and she supported its principles.
Ms Freeman had lost her job because she was unvaccinated, but said she “is not an anti-vaxxer” and has had other vaccines up to this point in her life.
“I do not support mandates, I’m absolutely pro-choice for vaccines and the sovereignty over your own health and wellbeing in medical decisions,” Ms Freeman said.
Standing down: Former Greens candidate Nickee Freeman handing out flyers at Mooroopna Secondary College in 2018.
Photo by
Liz Mellino
“The party was finding it increasingly difficult to accommodate me in that status.
“They (Australian Values Party) are very much about the things that I think are important in politics, which are love over fear, and unity over division.”
She said the Greens were still a “great party”, and wished them the best, but said they were still “city centric” in their approach to people in rural areas.
“Certainly I support the Greens, social justice and call to action, that's why I've always been aligned with them, but with that, the vaccine mandate has had real impacts on people’s lives,” she said.
“I wish the Greens all the very best for this campaign although I will no longer be a part of it.”
A Victorians Greens spokesperson said they “are aware that a candidate has decided to part ways with the party, as they disagree with the party’s strong support of vaccination”.
A process will be undertaken to commence preselection with local Greens members to select the next candidate.
