The Federal Government announced the controversial policy last week with Social Services Minister Scott Morrison unapologetic about the plans.

Member for New England Barnaby Joyce was fully supportive of the plans.

“The choice made by families not to immunise their children is not supported by public policy or medical research nor should such action be supported by taxpayers in the form of child care payments,” Mr Joyce said.

“Parents in the New England Electorate who vaccinate their children should have confidence that they can take their children to child care or into the community without worrying that their children will be at risk,” he said.

From the beginning of next year, ‘conscientious objection’ will be removed as an exemption category for child care payments.

People will no longer be able to claim a religious exemption for child vaccinations either.

“So the only exemption now is medical. We’re not accepting any further exemptions from any religious exemptions,” Scott Morrison said.

“It won’t be changing under us. That’s a policy decision that we will no longer be accepting any religious exemptions.”

Australia now has childhood vaccination rates over 90 per cent, from one to five years of age.

While vaccination rates in Australia have increased since the Childhood Immunisation Register was established by the Howard Government in 1996, vaccine objection rates for children under the age of seven have also increased.

More than 39,000 children aged under seven are not vaccinated because their parents are vaccine objectors.

“The government is extremely concerned at the risk this poses to other young children and the broader community, including the New England Electorate,” Mr Joyce said.