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Bridges wants beneficiaries to immunise children or 'don't take taxpayers' money'

“If you don't want to vaccinate your child… don't take taxpayers' money,” leader Simon Bridges said.

Simon Bridges wants beneficiaries to be made to immunise their children, or risk losing welfare. 

National have put forward the idea of requiring sole parents on the benefit to immunise their children, in its latest social development policy discussion document released this afternoon.

The party is seeking feedback on the proposal, but expressing his own view, leader Simon Bridges said: "I do think that's important."

"If you don't want to vaccinate your child... don't take taxpayers' money.

"The reality is there is no good reason not to immunise your child in 2019. The evidence is out and it's clear.

"We are asking the question though, want to see the views on it, but I'm pretty clear what I think," Mr Bridges said. 

He did not think it would impinge on the Bill of Rights, "to the extent that if any of these issues do, the reality is the Bill of Rights is not meant to be a handcuff on Governments to make decisions and value judgments about what's important. 

Under the Bill of Rights , a person has the right to refuse to undergo medical treatment. 

Mr Bridges said National were "ensuring we're not taking the mickey here, that there's responsibilities, there's obligations, and there's accountabilities on people who take that taxpayer money".

"Whether it be in the form of immunisation, whether it be getting out of their life of crime." 

The Government have moved away from calls to prevent unimmunised children from attending school, with Education Minister Chris Hipkins saying in March children should not be punished for their parents' "bad decisions". 

"I want parents to immunise their children, that is the sensible, responsible thing to do."

Today, the Government announced Kiwis will be able to receive MMR vaccines from pharmacies across the country, as it attempts to curb the measles outbreak. 

Between January 1 and October 29, 2019, there have been 1944 confirmed cases of measles, with 1569 of those in the Auckland region.

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