Much like the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Australia’s federal capital in Canberra is currently under a well-mannered siege from anti-authoritarian protesters, as ordinary citizens are finally saying “enough” to draconian measures meant to combat the Chinese virus commonly known as COVID-19. The so-called Convoy to Canberra also began late in January, with many of the movement’s goals echoing those of their Canadian brethren.
Protestors from all over Australia have descended upon the national capital, which lies at the northern tip of the so-called Australian Alps to call for an end to what protesters say are unreasonable measures and mandates that the federal and state governments in Australia are using to enforce vaccinations and vaccine passports. Rebel News Australia posted footage of thousands of Australians shouting “sack them all” outside Parliament House in Canberra.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called upon everyone to protest peacefully, as some arrests have already been reported. At least four people were arrested when they failed to pack up and leave one night prior to a federal police-imposed deadline.
“It is a free country and they have their right to protest,” the prime minister said of the Convoy to Canberra. “But I would ask them to do it with respect particularly for their fellow Australians, particularly for their federal police who’ll be there seeking to make sure it’s a safe environment for everybody.”
Morrison also noted that most of the restrictions Australians are currently seeing are from the states and not the federal government.
“Let me be very clear when it comes to the issue of vaccine mandates,” Morrison said recently. “Commonwealth government (Australia’s federal government) has only ever supported mandates that relate to H-care workers, disability workers and those who are working in high risk situations in the health system,” Morrison said. “All other mandates that relate to vaccines have been imposed unilaterally by state governments. They have not been put in place by the Commonwealth government, in fact the Commonwealth government cannot impose such a mandate.”
Morrison may be technically correct but, the truth is, almost anywhere in Australia COVID-19 vaccinations are mandatory unless one wants to live on the street.
It is, at least in part, the prime minister’s overall silence on this issue that has made thousands of Australians from all over the political map journey to the nation’s capital to protest just how badly the various state premiers and parliaments have fouled up the lives of everyday Australians.
A good example of this occurred just as the Convoy to Canberra was beginning. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews of Australia’s Labor Party warned that the definition of fully vaccinated was soon to include having received a booster dose of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine. In Victoria, nearly every adult — and almost anyone above the age of 12 — must be fully vaccinated or require valid proof of a medical exemption in order to work or go to school.
Why, in a supposedly free country such as Australia, does a premier have the unilateral power to impose life-altering medical procedures on the populace?
Anthony Albanese, the Leader of the main opposition to Morrison, the Labor Party, echoed the wish of most pro-vaccine mandate politicians, whether it be in Canada or Australia by saying, “I think these people need to just go home and think about the facts that are out there.” As long as the “facts” they listen to are of the government approved variety, of course.
What exactly is happening in Canada and Australia? What seems to be occurring is that the populace is finally waking up to the misdeeds of their governments on a large scale. People are finally asking their respective governments, “what the heck is going on?” The “common man” and “common woman” are beginning to loudly wonder just where their freedoms have gone. And the politicians have no answers except to paint those protesters with broad brushes such as “right-wing” or “anti vaxxer.” COVID-19 has become an excuse for petty political functionaries to act out their totalitarian fantasies on the people they’re supposed to be serving.
Australia is set to hold new elections by May 21, 2022, with the Liberal Party fronted by current prime minister Morrison holding a slim lead in most major polls over the Labor Party with Albanese at the top. But both major parties should be aware of a groundswell of support for smaller parties such as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party, described by Australia’s mainstream media as a “far-right” or even “alt-right” party. Each party’s COVID policy going forward will go much toward securing any election victories they might hope for.
