Hundreds of frontline emergency services workers could receive a huge cash payout after a class action lawsuit was launched against the Queensland government over Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
The legal action was filed on behalf of more than 300 Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service officers in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Friday.
Billionaire Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer announced in a statement, posted to X, that he is funding the lawsuit.
‘We are defending the more than 300 police and paramedics who are seeking compensation from the state of Queensland because many people lost their jobs, were injured by COVID-19 vaccines and were unlawfully disciplined for not following vaccination instructions set out by the Queensland state. police and ambulance services,” said Mr Palmer.
‘Unions abandoned Queensland police and ambulance workers. “Their human rights were ignored.”
The move comes after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of 74 police officers and QAS workers in February this year, who took legal action against the orders.
Judge Glen Martin concluded that the rules imposed on the police were illegal and those on ambulance staff were ineffective.
The rules, which were issued to emergency services workers during 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 launched against the Queensland government over Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
Those who did not comply would face suspensions or dismissal.
Former Special Agent Luke Jones is among the first responders who are part of the case filed Friday.
Jones was suspended from his job in 2021 before being fired earlier this year after refusing to get vaccinated.
He claims he has lost more than $400,000 in wages and said he struggled with the cost of being dismissed from the force as he fights to get his job back.
“The job I did involved going after some of the most notorious and dangerous people on the street and that’s where I felt I could make the biggest impact,” Mr. Jones told the alphabet.
‘It was my dream job. I worked really hard for it 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 or what I wanted to do.
Attorney Justin Sibley of Sibley Lawyers, who represents those involved in the lawsuit, said Carroll failed to take the officials’ rights into account 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 out of the police force because they were unfairly fired, that evil is perpetuated.”
Former Specialist Constable Luke Jones (pictured) is among the first responders, who are part of the case filed on Friday. Jones was suspended from his job in 2021 before being fired earlier this year after refusing to get vaccinated.
Pictured: Australia during lockdown in 2021
A Queensland Police spokesperson said police would not comment on the lawsuit, but acknowledged the role officers played in carrying out the mandate.
“The QPS recognizes members who complied with the former commissioner’s direction on mandatory vaccination, to support the safety of the Queensland community,” the spokesperson said.
“The Supreme Court found that the former commissioner did not adequately consider 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.”
‘Therefore, the QPS maintains that it was appropriate for those service members to be vaccinated.’
The spokesperson said the officers, who were suspended for failure to comply with instructions, have since returned to work following the revocation of their suspensions.