Media obsess about testing while governments continue to kneecap the economy and jab littlies unnecessarily over a virus that isn’t hurting most people and certainly not kids.

Janet A’s , quite rightly, utterly devastating critique of our Turdball-lite PM.

The whole article.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/scott-morrison-has-humiliated-us-as-well-as-novak-djokovic/news-story/25437775a5f277698fcbfad7002a41fc

PM, when you’re in a hole of your own making, stop digging.

Scott Morrison’s obsession with pub politics has exposed him as a populist drunk, more focused on low-rent politics than sensible policy.

By JANET ALBRECHTSEN

Illustration: Johannes Leak. (See Tom’s link)

As we waited, and waited, to hear if the Immigration Minister would use his personal powers to kick out Novak Djokovic, news leaked that the tennis player may have “lied” on his incoming travel paperwork. Seems there might be a date discrepancy about when Djokovic last travelled.

This is the sign of a desperate, delaying government likely poring over polling and hunting for ex post facto reasons to discredit Djokovic.

When in a hole of your own making, stop digging. Climb out with grace. There is a way Morrison could turn around a trashy drama that is an insult to the tennis player, and our country’s reputation as a free and fair-minded country.

He could lead by pointing out that it’s high time our Covid border policies are changed. Until he does that, he will share inglorious similarities with Mark McGowan. Both have border policies that are disproportionate, embarrassing and idiotic. Both policies point to politicians unable to manage risk sensibly.

What makes Morrison’s position worse is that as Prime Minister he has used his federal pedestal to tell Australians to push through, to live with Covid, to lift the doona. He has preached that people want government out of their lives.

By using the world’s top tennis player as a political football to play moralising border cop in the lead-up to a federal election, Morrison has made a farce of those sentiments, and exposed his attachment to a Fortress Australia policy well beyond its use-by date.

Those who are excited to see the Djokovic debacle as a proxy battle for different border policies that deal with asylum-seekers need a triple dose of clear thinking. Djokovic was invited into this country to play at a grand slam tennis tournament. The winner of 20 grand slams, hoping for his 21st at the Australian Open starting next week, filled out every form he was required to, provided documents asked of him, including a vaccination exemption provided by Tennis Australia’s panel of medical experts and a letter from the Department of Home Affairs confirming his visa to enter the country.

Djokovic had recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection. Medical experts acting for Tennis Australia and the Victorian government understood the rules to mean that Djokovic therefore did not need to be vaccinated for six months.

As Federal Circuit Court judge Anthony Kelly said on Monday during Djokovic’s legal challenge to the Morrison government’s deportation order: “What more could this man have done?”

Throughout Monday’s live-streamed legal proceedings from Melbourne, Kelly was scathing of Djokovic’s treatment by the federal government and the Australian Border Force delegate.

And for good reason. Did Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews read the transcript of the border bureaucrat’s interview with Djokovic? Did any of her advisers? What about anyone in the PM’s office? Had anyone with an ounce of sense read this 30-page transcript they would have seen a dodgy interview leading to a dodgy decision where the tennis player was not treated fairly or reasonably.

Detained in an airport room for hours from midnight on January 5, without legal counsel or access to his phone, Djokovic was unable to contact TA officials to help with questions that, very politely, he did his best to answer. At 5.22am the ABF bureaucrat promised Djokovic extra time so he could rest and contact TA by 8.30 that morning. The bureaucrat then reneged, waking the tennis player around 6am and effectively telling him that speaking with TA or lawyers wasn’t going to make a difference to the decision to cancel his visa.

This, said the judge, “has the quality of this ex post facto view”. No matter what Djokovic provided, border bureaucrats had made up their mind to cancel his visa. No one in the Morrison government looked at this debacle with a modicum of common sense before defending the decision. Instead, the PM and his ministers applied the excitable and distorted lens of politics.

The humiliation was avoidable. Morrison could have taken a breath and let the Victorian government cop the flak for granting a medical exemption to Djokovic.

Instead, the PM sniffed a wind somewhere and decided to have a fight with Tennis Australia, the Victorian government and the world’s top tennis player.

“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders,” the PM said, right after border cops cancelled Djokovic’s visa. His sermon about obeying rules backfired when Andrews was forced to agree in court on Monday that the bureaucrat acted unreasonably towards the tennis player.

Morrison’s obsession with pub politics has exposed him as a populist drunk, more focused on low-rent politics than sensible policy that is becoming of a leader.

The question now is whether any good can come of the Morrison government’s public humiliation in court on Monday?

It ought to be the trigger for a new and freer border policy that reflects three realities. First, Australia’s high vaccination rates. Second, Omicron is infecting hundreds of thousands of Australians without a blowout in mortality rates. An unvaccinated tennis player who had contracted Covid and carried Covid antibodies was no danger to a country awash with Omicron. Third, we must, as Morrison says, live with this virus and demand less intervention from government in our lives.

If not now, when do we live with Covid? If not now, when do we get governments out of our lives? Or are these just marketing blurbs from a PM who is more middle management than leader, a man who reached the top job because his predecessor made such a hash of it? Morrison is Malcolm Turnbull’s legacy.

If the Prime Minister tries to turn this into his Tampa moment by digging in to defend border policies that barely made sense in 2021, then it will settle his place in the pantheon of Australian politics as the poor man’s version of John Howard.

Howard took on people-smugglers and won. Morrison chose a fight with Tennis Australia and Victoria’s Labor government, used a tennis player to play tough border cop, and was humiliated in court. He will dig a bigger hole for himself if he refuses to change the country’s Covid border policy to reflect reality.

Look at it another way. While snooty elites in the international community condemned Howard’s border policies before, during and after Tampa, many countries – especially in Europe – have been trying to emulate those policies in recent years. No one will want to copy how Morrison damaged the country’s reputation with its shabby treatment of Djokovic.

A great many Australians have proven themselves to be gullible, nasty little fuckers who wouldn’t be out of place in 1938 Germany.

Perfect.

One thing’s for sure, Channel 7’s legal team will not be getting any sleep tonight

Neither did their spouses.

The thought of a poker machine that always jackpots makes them highly aroused.

Matersays:
January 12, 2022 at 8:04 am
I don’t speak for Digger but I took it as caution to be careful what whish for, you may not like what you get.

Voting for other than the Liberal Party doesn’t necessarily mean handing it to Labor. As long as the LNP are above ALP and Greens in your preferences, voting for a minor party/ies, is both workable, principled and, in my case, desirable. It delivers a message.

Indeed, though “voting the sitting member out” has been popular for some around here. This is not only short sighted but could accelerate the decline and possibly by design of some of its proponents.

Most people don’t ever want to admit they were wrong.

It’s bizarre isn’t it.
When you make a mistake, it’s key to understand where the mistake was made & factor it in to future decision making.

Most people don’t ever want to admit they were wrong.

I take such a dim view of others it’s an absolute pleasure to be proved wrong. 😀

As Wootton rams home, our leaders and policy makers are not afraid of Covid. Their actions and exemptions make that perfectly clear.

I have been telling friends for some time how we are being treated like the Germans pre WWll when media and politicians used propaganda to control t the population. Most were too young to have witnessed it at the time or after when all was analysed . Triumph of the Will displayed it on screen and again in the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures .
Friend was horrified the other day when a friend told her that another friend of very long standing would never be allowed in her home again as she wasn’t vaccinated. No different to what happened in Germany just substitute Antivaxers for the hated ones. And the way we are going every other non woke group.

Off to visit the grand girl.

Life is good.

California getting ready for state wide lock downs again.

The Shrine protest was unplanned and occurred due to the police harassment throughout the earlier parts of the day in the cbd. No protest was possible. Lots of scatterings. Remnant groups who were pushed out of the cbd found they could consolidate in the park area of the Shrine. Etc.

. Christine Holgate – a rather effective head of Australia Post, who Morrison vindictively decided to smear and destroy for petty politics.

Yep, Morrison has form. Bolta:

Here’s proof that the Morrison Government wants to kick Novak Djokovic out of the country not because he’s a danger to the health of Australians, but because he’s a danger to the health of a government facing an election.

Given the evidence of immunity from previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, however, policy makers should consider recovery from previous SARS-CoV-2 infection equal to immunity from vaccination for purposes related to entry to public events, businesses, and the workplace, or travel requirements.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/proof-that-morrison-government-is-playing-politics-with-djokovic/news-story/55c3dc7451483802841f95c381c9795c

The truth is that Morrison is a fucking disgrace.

Cassie Johnson is right!

Managed to get a paediatric cannula into the vein at the base of her thumb after putting a rubber tourniquet on the arm and winding it down to engorge the vein. Then removed the tourniquet and reapplied it to the upper arm. Filled the arm up with fluid, and managed to get a cubital fossa #14 in.
Was most chuffed at attempt.

Awesome.
I just lunge for the elbows…. Sick of stuffing round with “back of the hand’…

Or are there others here saying we should vote all sitting members last?

Yes, me.

It was one of his lucid ideas.

Actually, I reckon I brought it up first, better than “Nunn OV V Above”, which was his idea.

Gee he took offence if you didn’t bow down to his “greatness”.

Or are there others here saying we should vote all sitting members last?

Especially for ministers and shadow ministers.
I like watching ministers lose their seats.

“Morrison is Malcolm Turnbull’s legacy.”

And Turnbull was John Howard’s legacy.

It’s turtles all the way down.

Jim Stanford is an economist, Director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute and honorary professor of political economy at University of Sydney. This piece first appeared on The Conversation.

Wow is that a combination of fruitloopery or what? Sad that my old uni has turned into an insane asylum and The Monologue is notorious. And the Ponds Institute has a “Centre for Future Work”? LOL. What do they plan to do, train painters to paint roofs white to save us from thermaggeddon?

LNP researchers take note:

Mother Lode Johnson is right.

Morrison could also get a job as a methane collector (suckarse).

Jim Stanford is an economist

No, he’s not.

Queensland health authorities have condemned reports of “pox parties” held by groups of unvaccinated residents on the Gold Coast, which has quickly become the epicentre of the state’s Omicron outbreak.

After two years of terror culminating in complete catastrophe, policy-speaking, the everyman is ignoring the egg-head central planners who caused the mess and taking the matter into his own hands and making sure he gets immunity that is is god given right to get.

(As if this is even happening – this is the second time Gerrard has run to the “chickenpox party” anti anti-vaxxer trope in a week, he obviously thinks it’s a winner)

Holding “crisis meetings” with industry reps over worker shortage.

Unless they are telling crook punters to go to work, there is nothing they can do.
This is the equivalent of rolling strikes or go-slows during the 80’s.
It sucks, but you get through it.

Electric aircraft is one of the more stupid things that could be done.

I think governments should mandate the use of electric aircraft to get to all Climate meetings and Davos. No carbon indulgences! The attendees should lead by example in saving the planet. Also the conferences should serve only bugs and vegetarian finger food.

Seven in ten people unwilling to eat insects such as mealworms – in order to save the planet, study finds (11 Jan, via Climate Depot)

Of the almost 2,000 people who took part in the survey, 90 per cent had heard of plant-based proteins, while 80 per cent were familiar with edible insects, and 78 per cent with lab-grown meat.

While a majority (77 per cent) perceived plant-based proteins as being safe to eat, this dropped to half for edible insects and 30 per cent for lab-grown meat.

Around 34 per cent of people said they were willing to try the latter, while 26 per cent said they would try edible insects.

Hehe, frankenbeef is nearly as on the nose with the punters as black maggots.

Jim Stanford is an economist

He is.
In the kind of way ScoMo is a fiscal conservative.
Or Ron Jeremy is a save yourself until marriage type.

You endlessly complain about Morrisons net zero by 2050 yet you fail to acknowledge the real world repercussions of not doing so in the current global situation. You ain’t seen nothing yet because net zero by 2050 will be glorious compared to what Albanese will inflict on us

Nuclear power, lower taxes, cut spending, pay off the debt, end the emergency powers, restore civil liberties, reduce the labyrinthine laws and regulations individuals have to overcome to achieve formerly simple goals like building a home on their own property.

EVERY SINGLE PARTY IN AUSTRALIA other than the Greens can do this from their manifestos.

The problem is Morrison and Albanese are not materially different.

Record debt.
Green fairy tales.
Cucking to rabid feminists.
East German like suspension of civil liberties.
Abandonment of the rule of law.

There’s a not insignificant number of people taking the piss with this ‘testing’ stuff to extend the Christmas / NY holidays.

Jim Stanford is an economist, Director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute and honorary professor of political economy at University of Sydney.

Hahaha. The Ponds Institute won’t rest until its big government Keynesian Marxists have destroyed the Australian economy because they haven’t a clue how it works. Hint: Supply creates demand.

Roger

They could allow the asymptomatic to return to work earlier than 7 days. There is that.

They’re already locking it in for health workers.

Once they agree for asymptomatic health workers, there is no logical way to deny permission for warehouse workers, meat workers, farm worker, truck drivers and similar jobs.

They locked up entire cities and states to prevent a positive single case from ‘spreading’.

Now they’re telling doctors and nurses to go to work if they’re positive.

Unvaccinated healthy people are still banned though. No change – because Science!.

And speaking of hot RATs why would you ever actually do one?

Australians face $1,000 fine in NSW if they fail to register positive rapid antigen results (12 Jan)

People who fail to register positive rapid antigen test results with the New South Wales government will be hit with a $1,000 fine, Premier Dominic Perrottet says.

“We made a decision as a government that the registration of that test is mandatory and you will need to register your positive rapid antigen test from January 1,” Mr Perrottet said at a Wednesday morning media conference.

“This health order has been signed off this morning – and in terms of enforcement if someone fails to register a positive rapid antigen test there will be a $1000 fine.”

Wow the Karens must be giving him curry, he sounds like he’s under immense DO SOMETHING pressure. The level of social insanity is incredible right now.

How on earth will the PerrotetPolice enforce the mandatory reporting of positive RAT tests?
And as for the retrospective rule, that’s another Pandora’s Box.

I would like to think that recording that you’ve got the spicy cough is your golden ticket out of this.

The level of social insanity is incredible right now.

No. They have made themselves visible.
They’ve always been there.

Am I missing something here?

No.
Separate to that, there needs to be a way to reliably record you’ve had COVID.
Even if it means shit in Australia, there will be some saner jurisdictions who will end up accepting the one & done status.

I get the curiosity part – it would be interesting to know whether you had the thing or not.

By using the RAT, they are admitting that the (virtually) forced vaxx and booster is useless. Or alternatively, and to my mind more sinisterly, that Covid itself is not the problem – it’s compliance.

Hang on.
Sky and 2GB and The Australian assured me Dom Pirouette was a ‘conservative’ game-changer.

That’s how I’m seeing it too, Roger. The whole thing is unworkable.

Fining people who return a +ve on a dodgy test? The first court challenge would blow it out of the water.

They’re dodging and weaving. Soon it will be panicking. So much simpler and less damaging to admit defeat and that you were wrong. Idiots.

They are going to investigate the truthiness of Djokovic’s travel before he left for Australia.
While they are at it, maybe they can investigate the travel of the diplomat who was the start of the Avalon cluster at Christmas 2020.

I have recently started to rely on the analogy of the COVID Response with the M&J Sexual Response Cycle.
Excitement – Plateau – Climax – Resolution

We seem to have left the “Plateau” phase, and are approaching the “Climax”.
Soon we will just have a bit of cleaning up to do, and bask in the “Resolution”

And maybe a ciggie.

While they are at it, maybe they can investigate the travel of the diplomat who was the start of the Avalon cluster at Christmas 2020.

LOL

You’re a funny guy. I bet he has Asian skanks (his words, not mine, surely lovely people) lay out his silk pyjamas before he retires to bed? You don’t want to get $2000 pairs of pyjamas dirty with Ocha tea.

HE WAS A KING IN PATTAYA, HOW DARE YOU MAKE HIM SUBMIT TO RULES THAT TAX PROLES MUST OBEY?!

Dot.
For the Viktoristan election the opposition (whoever that is) should just show non-stop video of Dan’s thugs beating the shit out of young women, grannies, the pregnant etc.
At the end of the advert, “You are next!”

The compliance costs would be astronomical and very illegal to do.

So?
Why start worrying about costs & legality now?

“Rare” and “colourised”.

Victoriastan’s televisual anthem, sung by the great Mike Patton.

Faith No More – “Stripsearch” (Official Music Video) from the album ‘Album of the Year’ (1997)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_U6165DVeM

From 9am today NSW residents must report positive rapid antigen tests dating back to January 1 or face a $1000 fine.

Enforcement will be a panic.
Unless you ‘fess up, there is no real prospect for forensic conviction:

• The used RAT has long since gone in the bin (and in any event would be unreadable 30 minutes after the test, so forget mandatory preservation of ‘evidence’);

• Subsequent positive diagnosis tells you nothing about your known Pox status at the time of the RAT – the tests are significantly unreliable.

Anyone standing weepily in front of a beak and admitting to RAT crime always loved Big Brother.

Hold up.

Everyone but Alexandra Maria Lara must leave.

Say, have you seen this movie with Maggie Gyllenhall and James Spader?

Oh my god.

Blonde Same Hyde (“school shooter”) looks like a young James Spader.

The nonsense Terrence McKenna was spouting the other day is making more and more sense.

Once again, Coatesworth delivers some A-grade commonsense.
“If you’re crook, stay home. If you’re not crook, go to work”.

Sounds like a crank.
Best to deplatform him just to be safe.

The Australian Republic Movement has unveiled a new model for a republic it says would succeed at a referendum and sever ties with the Royal Family.

Research undertaken by the organisation has found 73 per cent of Australians would vote for a republic if this model was put to a referendum.

Reported in the Oz, together with a picture of Fitzsimon, which must have driven away at least 25% of potential supporters.

I can’t respect anything that comes out of the ARM.

They’re more interested in “pwning monarchists” than appealing to the public.

Which means, begrudgingly, I must respect the intellect of the monarchists.

Delta A,
Hunt’s extended family are minting it.