Daniel Andrews is by far the worst Premier Australia has ever seen. This is coming from someone who saw the disaster that Kristina Keneally was in office in NSW. But as terrible as she was, Daniel Andrews has truly gone above and beyond in the realm of bad leadership. The man has, through a quest for power, annihilated the State of Victoria. Melbourne, once the most livable city in the world, is now but a shadow of its former self. Businesses closed permanently, the streets bare, citizens imprisoned in their homes, a tyrannical leader imposing more restrictions; it is almost like 1984 come to life. Thankfully, I do not reside in Danistan, so the police will not come knocking at my door to intimidate me for criticizing their Dear Leader.

Daniel Andrews has consistently said throughout his daily press conferences that this is not about politics, rather, it is about health. He has maintained that all the decisions he has made and continues to make, and all the restrictions put in place, are at the advice of the Chief Health Officer (CHO) Brett Sutton. Essentially, he claims he has based everything on the “health advice”. Yet neither of these things are completely true.

First, the health advice has not played a part in all decisions made and restrictions imposed. That became evident when yesterday, on Neil Mitchell’s radio show on 3AW, Brett Sutton admitted that he had not advised the Premier to impose a curfew. This was a bombshell revelation. Why? Because since implementing the curfew on Melbourne, Daniel Andrews has always said that this decision was based on the health advice of the Chief Health Officer. Yet Sutton’s revelation had just proven that claim to be false. If this were true, it would essentially mean that Daniel Andrews had been lying to everyone the whole time, and that the curfew was nothing more than a tyrannical power grab.

It was only natural that this would be followed up by the media at the next press conference. When journalists began asking their questions, it was only a matter of time before an admission was made in one form or another. Daniel Andrews was asked if Brett Sutton (who, conveniently, happened to be absent from the presser) had advised him to impose the curfew. The Premier responded that “it wasn’t a matter for Brett Sutton”. He told the press it was his decision. This confirmed what Sutton had said to be true. Andrews had all but admitted the curfews were not based on health advice. But the big bombshell came with the first question asked on this matter. The Premier was asked if he was able to confirm if it was in fact the Victorian Police who had asked him to impose the curfew. While he initially claimed he was unable to pinpoint who it was, it wasn’t long before he said that the curfew being in place makes it “much easier for police”, and in a follow up question, again said the curfew was put in place to “make the jobs of Police easier.” With these comments, the Premier all but confirmed the curfew was only imposed to make life easier for a lazy police force, and essentially impose a Police State upon Victoria.

This admission that the curfew was done for the sake of the Police also confirmed something many knew all along: this was a power grab for the Premier. But the revelations were far from over. Only this morning, Victoria’s Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told Neil Mitchell Victoria Police were not consulted on the matter of the curfew, and that he only found out about it just hours before it was to be enforced. This raised the question: if the Chief Health Officer did not request the curfew, and the Victorian Police did not request it, then who did? When this question was posed to the Premier in his daily press conference today, his response was predictable: “I can’t pinpoint the exact individual or the exact moment that a decision was made to impose a curfew.” However, from the information obtained by Neil Mitchell, and Andrews’ own admissions, we can safely assume that this was, as one journalist put it, a Captain’s Call.

The curfew never should have been imposed. After the revelations from the last few days, it is safe to say it is far from appropriate. A curfew being imposed in peacetime is absurd in itself. But to do so with no request from relevant authorities is extreme. It is nothing more than a selfish act of accumulating power; something a dictator would do. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has now called for the curfew to be lifted immediately, considering it was not implemented based on health advice. Any reasonable person would agree. It does not matter in the slightest if, as Daniel Andrews claimed this morning, it will “make the Police’s job harder.” The Police should know how to do their job, and they should be able to do so without such arbitrary measures. The Premier thinks that this curfew is only impactful upon those who would seek to otherwise break the rules. It impacts everyone living in Melbourne, and it will continue to do so until it is lifted.

When Daniel Andrews says this is not about politics, he is lying to you. This has only ever been about politics for him. One could say the roadmap to nowhere has been imposed in revenge for China’s Belt and Road Initiative that he signed onto being ripped up by the Prime Minister. It could also be construed that the restrictions put in place, which have created a Police State, were implicated so that the Premier could gain more power, and ensure the people obeyed. But don’t take it from me, take it from Daniel Andrews himself. The man who, since the inception of many of these restrictions, has claimed consistently that they were imposed upon the advice of the CHO, today told the press “I think it’s dangerous to fall into this trap that the only decisions that the Government can make are the ones advised by the Chief Health Officer”, and claimed the advice isn’t necessarily what makes the rules. In saying these things, he has contradicted what he has been saying for months, implying many of these decisions could easily have been Captain’s Calls, essentially making them political. And when you lie to the people again and again, you lose their trust.

In addition, the Police State imposed upon the people of Victoria has created an air of anger and fear. Victoria Police are now turning up to people’s homes in what are clearly intimidation tactics, for criticizing the Premier on social media, serving them with warnings about attending protests that they were not even planning to attend. They have arrested two individuals in their homes, pregnant mother Zoe Buhler, and ex-soldier James Bartolo, for posting about the protests on Facebook. When Police start arresting people for Facebook posts, it begs the question: why are they trawling through social media looking for people to arrest? It is unwarranted surveillance. Victoria appears to have its own Stasi. But it does not stop there. Six police officers surrounded two elderly women, one of them snatching one of the women’s phones. It’s disgusting behaviour, but when Andrews is asked about it, he refuses to comment. When the people fired up last weekend, taking to the streets to protest against this tyrannical government, the Police began violently arresting people. Did they do the same to Black Lives Matter protestors weeks before the second wave began? No. The double standards of the Andrews Government and the Victorian Police are on full display. It appears that only government sanctioned protest is allowed in the Socialist Republic of Victoria. And apparently protesting for freedom does not qualify.

Now naturally, the media were present at these protests to cover them. They do this out of their duty to the public to report on matters of public interest. The Freedom Day protests were of great public interest. Among the journalists present was Rebel News reporter Avi Yemini. After passing through the roadblocks having had his permit checked, and a couple of hours covering the protests, permit in pocket, Avi was arrested without warning by Victoria Police. While other journalists from the Mainstream Media were asked to move on, Avi was given no such courtesy. He was pinned to the ground like some sort of dangerous criminal and handcuffed, despite telling the Police multiple times that he had his permit in his pocket. When he inquired as to what was being arrested for, the arresting Officer told him “Hinder”. This was despite the fact that Avi had not hindered Police at all. He had been standing in a space with no one near him and had not been asked even once by Police to move on. But any logical person would know that Avi was not arrested for doing anything wrong at all. No, this was purely a tactic by Victoria Police to get rid of journalists who were not subservient to Daniel Andrews and his Government. Avi’s real crime? Journalism. And when a State, even a country, reaches a point where journalism is apparently a crime, you know you’re in trouble, because that is a sign that democracy is dying.

Victoria is a disaster. There really is no other way to put it than that. The State that makes up 22% of Australia’s GDP, that bears the brunt of Australia’s economy, has been destroyed by a rogue, power-hungry Premier and his incompetent Government. Victorian small businesses are in ruins. The private sector has been completely screwed over. Private sector wages have fallen by $5.96 billion since the start of this lockdown, yet public sector wages have increased. That is practically wage theft. The private sector is what fuels the economy, and practically what pays the wages of the public sector, so you can only imagine what this means for Victoria going forward in terms of recovery. 21% of the workforce will be put out of work as a result of Daniel Andrews’ lockdowns. Businesses, jobs, income, and livelihoods have all been lost due to the harshest restrictions in the Western world. The mental health impact will be ginormous. Only yesterday, the Mona Castle Hotel, a pub in Footscray that had been open for 140 years, closed its doors permanently, unable to withstand the economic damage of the restrictions. That is a business that has been open since before FEDERATION. Andrews and Sutton have justified their actions by comparing Victoria to other countries like France, Spain, and the UK. Yet despite those being countries and having far greater case numbers than an Australian State, they are recording only a small fraction of the daily deaths in Victoria. All because of Government incompetence.

Victoria was once the most livable city in the world. Now it is the worst State in the country. That is not a reflection of the people, it is a reflection of the Premier, the Government, the Victorian Police (with exceptions of those who are not abusing their power of course), the health bureaucrats, and anyone else involved in the decision making, as well as those who support these decisions. Daniel Andrews is on the brink of sparking a class war. Civil unrest is likely to occur. Protests will continue. The rest of the country stands in solidarity with Victorians who just want their lives back.

Enough is enough. Far too much damage has been done. The curfew must be lifted. Restrictions must be loosened. Daniel Andrews must resign or be sacked. The Governor must do her job. The Parliament should be dissolved, and an election called. The people must be given the opportunity to choose what they want. Democracy must be revived and allowed to run its course.

Politicians must remember that in a democracy it is we the people who give them their power.  If they abuse it or try to take more than they have been given, they should expect the people to revolt.

Because while leaders may take power, democracy can take it back.

Earlier today, Victoria Police entered a family’s home, arresting a pregnant woman in front of her kids. They issued the family with a search warrant, read the woman her rights, and informed the family that they would be taking all their computers, phones and devices.

The “crime”? A Facebook post.

Watch for yourself below:

This is what Victoria has come to. Protest is now “illegal”, unless of course you’re Black Lives Matter. The Victorian Police have turned into the Gestapo, policing free speech, with Daniel Andrews running the State like a dictator. With changes made to the Public Health Act at 2am this morning to allow the Andrews Government to extend the State of Emergency, the tyranny is set to continue. Victorians will continue to be at the mercy of unelected bureaucrat Brett Sutton, Daniel Andrews and the Victorian Police. Freedom is dead.

I don’t care what you think about the restrictions. I don’t care what you think about the way COVID19 is being handled. I don’t care what side of politics you’re on. If you think this is ok, you are part of the problem.

This should concern all Australians. It is a violation of the rights and civil liberties of Victorians. Victoria is the only State with a Charter of Human Rights. It’s clear that has been completely ignored. The Victorian Government are allowing this to occur. They know full well what they are doing.

This is not only a disgrace to Victoria, it’s a disgrace to the entire nation.

In times of late, with the uprising of COVID19 around the world, climate change has been relegated to the benches, not so much in the spotlight as it used to be. It may seem odd, considering climate change was the method behind the madness of the push for full blown globalism, but times have changed. A new issue has come along, and the globalists surely are all over it. COVID19 is all over the world, and it is being weaponized by globalists.

You may wonder why climate change is no longer the issue of choice for those spruiking globalism. There is a fairly simple reason behind this change in approach. COVID19 is much more real, and thereby evokes much more of a reaction in the people. Thereby, it is much easier to take advantage of and convince people to fear. Whereas many are skeptical of climate change and the narrative presented by its perpetrators, almost everyone knows the virus is a reality. And although some are still skeptical as to the ins and outs, there is no doubt that COVID19 is in circulation.

COVID19 is all over the globe. It would therefore be seen as an easier strategy to push a globalist agenda. Yet, like the globalist spruiked climate change, the impact of the virus varies from country to country. Some countries are more affected than others, with each country approaching the response to the virus in its own way. Because of this, it may not be so simple to push globalism. The key factor in doing so is fear. If one country manages to find a way out without a vaccine, it could result in other countries following suit. So far, Sweden is the only country to have almost eviscerated the virus with minimal economic damage and should be applauded for doing so. Most other countries have followed the lockdown strategy, destroying their economies while the virus is only going to continue to exist. This is exactly what globalists like those in the United Nations and its branches (including the World Health Organisation), the European Union, the World Economic Forum and several other governmental bodies want. They want to build the globalist empire on the ruins of national economies.

One of the only leaders who has stood against globalism is President of the United States Donald Trump. One of the reasons Donald Trump is loathed by his political counterparts is because he is a nationalist. In other words, he is a patriot. He puts his country before the rest of the world, or as he would put it “America First”. Contrary to the views of globalists and a fair number of those on the Left, there is nothing wrong with this. Nationalism is not a bad thing. If anything, it’s a great thing to want to put your country first and be proud of the country you reside in. We could do with more nationalism in our world because it is what keeps democracy alive and prevents a potential one world government. We should all be putting our own countries ahead of others. Sure, countries can support each other, but in prioritizing our own countries before others, we ensure that we are in a position of prosperity, rather than giving out foreign aid when we are in decline.

The climate change line is becoming much less relevant now. While climate activist Greta Thunberg and her movement are still protesting, albeit socially distanced or from home, she has even announced she is going back to school. Yes, people are attempting to link the climate change line to COVID19, and Thunberg has met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to talk to her about acknowledging and doing something about the so called “climate emergency”, however, there is no emergency in the realm of climate change. The only “emergency” anyone is concerned about now is COVID19. But they hype around the virus is even excessive.

Essentially what has happened is that the globalists of the world have found their golden goose. COVID19 is the perfect storm for these people. It has given governments too much power. It has put the people at the mercy of their elected officials and the authorities. It has screwed over businesses, destroyed people’s livelihoods, trapped people in their respective countries, even going so far as to imprison them in their own homes. And inevitably, it has led to corruption. One of the unfortunate tenets of humanity is that it is susceptible to corruption. Ultimately, it means people will do terrible things for their own personal gain. That includes exploiting a new virus.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, we have borne witness to corruption the world over. Agendas are being pushed, likely without many even realizing. Whilst everyone can see the governments of the world cultivating their power, there are other things that may not seem as obvious. Take the sudden opposition to hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that has been in circulation for decades. No one was against it until it was found to be effective against COVID19 if used early on. Now it is being heavily restricted or even banned in places around the world, including in Queensland and Victoria, under the threat of fines for prescription or use of the medication. Make no mistake, this is a life-saving drug, but the elites with great power do not want you to have it. The reason is simple, they want this “pandemic” to continue for as long as possible. If there is a drug that cures COVID19, how are they going to be able to ensure people still fear this virus? They can’t. They would lose their opportunity to finally push out their agenda. That is the last thing they want.

Note how the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN arm that is supposed to prevent disease outbreaks, let alone pandemics, has been giving mixed messages since the start of COVID19? They have effectively lied every step of the way and that has not changed. They told us human to human transmission was not occurring when it was. They verbally attacked the President Trump for closing off the US to China. They told us masks were ineffective. They’re against hydroxychloroquine. And of all people that they are discussing the vaccine with, it’s tech giant Bill Gates, who isn’t even a doctor. It begs the question; how can anyone trust these people? They’re glorified bureaucrats, just like those in charge of the health response here in Australia (Take Victorian Chief Health Officer (CHO) Brett Sutton, who’s actively running and destroying the State of Victoria and the once most livable city in the world, Melbourne). These people are dangerous. What’s more, they’re globalists. They may seem like they are there to help, but, in reality, they are the ones who allowed this virus to get to where it is, to spread around the globe. If the WHO had warned people earlier, we could have prevented COVID19 from even entering our countries. We could have saved our economies. And more recently, if Brett Sutton, & by extension Daniel Andrews, had done their job, Victoria would not have been subject to a “second wave” and had to lockdown all over again. They could have spared themselves from total economic annihilation if these unelected bureaucrats had just done their damn jobs.

There is something else that should have also caught the attention of the people. It is somewhat subtle, but it is there, nonetheless. There has been much talk about vaccines of late. Many governments and health officials, including unelected bureaucrats, have touted the vaccine as the only way out of this virus. Even though hydroxychloroquine is readily available and cheap, they want us to adjust to some “new normal”, or as some have referred to it “COVID normal”, never allowing us to go back to life as it was before COVID19 until a viable vaccine is in play. What’s more, our Australian Government are going to attempt to force us to take a vaccine which has been developed fairly quickly compared to others that take years, from a company that has made itself not liable for any issues that arise and which has had to pay out over $1.14 billion in penalties for violations since 2000. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. The vaccine may create side effects unknown until potentially years after it is taken. All you need do is think back to the thalidomide epidemic, a drug that was said to be fine at the time, but which ended up resulting in devastating side effects, including the deaths of thousands of children, and birth defects of thousands more. We should not have a rushed vaccine pushed on us. It’s plain dangerous. Yet the government and unelected health bureaucrats are touting “no jab no pay”, a system in which if you aren’t vaccinated, you will not be able to work, and will likely be unable to go to various venues, including cafes and restaurants. They will take your rights away from you simply because you are cautious about what you are putting into your body. It is reprehensible.

I want to make it clear that I am no anti-vaxxer. I have personally chosen to have all vaccines provided throughout high school, and for travel, as well as the flu shot each year. However, the more I look into this vaccine and all that surrounds it, the more skeptical I become of it. The one Australia is signing up for is the Oxford one developed by a company called AstraZeneca. This company has chosen to use a cell line in their vaccine that is taken from an aborted foetus. That’s right, an aborted human baby. This is no rarity in vaccine production. In fact, it is shockingly common. If you’re skeptical, I encourage you to look up VAQTA, HAVRIX, PRIORIX and Varivax, all commonly used vaccines, with the term MRC-5, which are the cell lines used from aborted human foetuses (I’ll leave links to each one at the bottom of this article). This raises a major ethical dilemma, with many being against abortion, and thus against having a product made using aborted babies injected into them. When coupled with the government’s veiled threat to remove some of our rights, as well as our jobs, if we refuse to take the vaccine, it results in a conundrum of great proportions. Essentially, you face losing your job/freedoms or going against your own values/morals. There are also concerns that have previously been raised around vaccines made using cell lines from aborted foetuses, primarily the risk of insertional mutagenesis, the creation of DNA mutations which can cause cancer. If anything, this vaccine is not all sunshine and roses.

As if things could not get any lower, one more thing that has been occurring during the time of COVID19 is fraud surrounding the death toll. Medical facilities are receiving more funding for each COVID19 death they record. That’s right, they are exploiting people’s deaths for money. There have been a number of cases where family members have had doctors ask to record deaths from a range of other conditions, including terminal cancer, as COVID deaths. This has been occurring in Australia, particularly in Victoria. On August 20, Victorian CHO Brett Sutton was asked about classification of COVID deaths. He responded with the following answer:

“For deaths from coronavirus, anyone who’s a confirmed case who dies is classified amongst coronavirus deaths. So, it doesn’t have to be definitively from coronavirus. And in some instances, in aged care, there would have been some residents who were already receiving palliative care who became infected with coronavirus, so it’s not definitive about whether they’ve died with or from coronavirus…but for classification purposes, for recording purposes, that’s the definition.”

In that response, Sutton has effectively admitted that deaths that have been recorded as COVID deaths may not have resulted from COVID, thus resulting in inflated numbers to cause even more fear. This is fraud. It should trigger alarm bells for everyone. If they can do this so easily, imagine what else they are capable of. You will also very rarely, if ever, hear the recovery rates, because they would help to dispel fear, and thus put a pin in the hopes of globalists. Why? Because the recovery rates are very high. Make no mistake, this is all about increasing fear. What these people are doing is criminal.

Globalism has created many of the problems we now face. If COVID19 has taught us anything, it is that bureaucrats should not be running countries, and that we cannot allow a globalist regime to occur. Globalists are going to use COVID19 as an excuse to continue towards their goal of ultimate power and pursue some sort of one world government. We should have known from the start that they would exploit this virus for their own personal and political gain. You really have to think about this: COVID19 is nowhere near as bad as they have made it out to be. Yes, it has taken lives, a tragedy in every way. Yet tens, even hundreds, of thousands die from the flu and related respiratory illnesses each year and we do not lockdown and destroy the economy. Thousands die in car accidents each year, but we do not remove vehicles from the roads. Millions die from abortion each year, yet we allow abortion facilities to continue to operate, even going so far as to legislate in its favour in some States.

We need to start thinking about what happens if there is no vaccine. We need to start rebuilding our economy before globalists take advantage of the destruction. Globalism is the true virus. It leads to the destruction of democracy. It puts us at the mercy of other countries. It leads to absurd laws that end free speech and results in self-censorship. We cannot allow the tendrils of globalism to get a grasp on our country, on our world.

That will only end in despair.

 

Links to vaccines that use cell lines from aborted foetuses:

VAQTA: https://www.fda.gov/media/74519/download  (Read 11. DESCRIPTION pg. 11)

HAVRIX: https://t.co/MwfXhfGLyV?amp=1 (Read 11. DESCRIPTION pg. 9)

PRIORIX: https://t.co/BoYKGUnPv1?amp=1 (Read 2. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION pg.1)

VARIVAX: https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/vaccines/varivax-refrigerated

Look for the term “MRC-5”.

 

When our forebears fought in the Wars, they were not just fighting for the sake of it. They fought to ensure and protect the freedoms of future generations, of generations that now roam this Earth, this country. A significant part of World War II was liberating the Jewish people from the extreme oppression of Nazi Germany. These people had their rights stripped from them, had no freedom, and were imprisoned in concentration camps only to be killed by their oppressors. This was all due to a totalitarian government, and a dictator high on power who had no intention of giving it up. Only after the Nazis were defeated and the surviving Jews liberated did they get back any semblance of freedom. If anything, this should have taught us to value our own freedoms even more. But many of us have done the opposite, we have taken them for granted.

Our forebears did not fight for our freedoms just for us to sit idly by and give them up freely. We were supposed to continue to protect these freedoms for future generations, just as they did for us. See, the whole point of history is for us to learn from the past errors of humanity so that we may prevent them from occurring again. Unfortunately for us, we seem to become complacent, thinking that just because this history is written means it will never happen again. But complacency is dangerous. And in some cases, it can spell the end of democracy itself.

We should have learnt from history that radicalism is never a good thing. Anything that derives itself from Marxism, Communism or the like should never be allowed to fester, for it will only lead to corruption and anarchy. In current times, we have allowed radicalism to seep through again and again, be it in the form of identity politics, climate alarmism, or, as it is now, COVID19 alarmism. Whatever it is, it all leads to an absolute mess, and it gives people in power the perfect excuse to weasel out more power for themselves.

If there is one thing governments love, it is power. And so it should come as no surprise that when an opportunity to grab more power, however unique, presents itself, they will jump at it. So, when a global pandemic came along in the form of COVID19, it was like winning the lottery. It was the perfect chance for governments to take control and, in doing so, subtly prise people’s rights from them.

COVID19 gave power hungry governments and organisations the opportunity to persuade the people that they needed to be saved, and that the only ones who could save them were governments and government bodies. In order to gain as much power and control as possible, they have utilized fear. Governments use fear as a method of control to guarantee obedience to the State. They scare people into thinking their lives are well and truly in danger, and, in doing so, civilians willingly cede some of their rights and freedoms in exchanges for “safety” and some temporary comfort. However, this comfort eventually runs out, and so they hand over more rights and freedoms to attain more of it. And so this cycle continues, until there are no freedoms left to give, and they are ultimately at the mercy of the State.

This is how democratically elected governments can transform into totalitarian ones. It is how the Andrews Government in Victoria is building its power, keeping everyone imprisoned in their own homes with a curfew, something that is unheard of in peacetime. Premier Daniel Andrews also cancelled Parliament and shut down the offices of Members of Parliament, impeding democracy, and, by extension, the will of the people. A democratically elected government should never refuse to work. Politicians in a democracy seem to forget that they are elected by the people, to work for the people. We pay their salaries in our taxes, and we expect them to do their jobs. It is important to note that we do not work for them. Yes, there are public servants and staffers that work for politicians and government departments, but those are the only people that should be working for the government. If there comes a point where everyone is working for the government, we are in deep trouble.

Andrews’ Police State should also serve as a warning and a wake-up call for all citizens of Australia. Giving police the power to enter the homes of private citizens without a warrant, impose major fines for the most absurd reasons, shooting at people’s car windows for breaking curfew, and even policing a permit system introduced by the Victorian Government, similar to the “papers, please” system used by the Germans, is disturbing to say the least. It reeks of totalitarianism and should be abhorred by the public. Rightly so, there are many Victorians who are appalled at how this has been handled, with their freedoms being taken from them “for the greater good”. Yet there remains a sect of society in Victoria that defend this overbearing government and its megalomaniac leader, proving that Stockholm Syndrome is alive and well.

Subservience to the State only ever ends in misery. Governments are quick to take our freedoms from us but are hard-pressed to give them back. This is where the issue now arises in Victoria, and potentially nationwide. The Victorian Government is now working to legislate rules surrounding COVID19 as law. That includes powers to extend the State of Emergency, something that has a limit of six months, indefinitely. This means that current restrictions, or a variation similar to them, could become the “new normal”. But “COVID normal” should never be accepted. That term is simply code for life controlled by government, and that is no way to live. Daniel Andrews clearly wants to hold on to power, and he could not care less if that comes at the expense of your freedoms. When power is involved, your rights do not seem to matter, and that should scare you. You should be more concerned about your freedoms being taken from you, and democracy slowly crumbling.

All we need do is look at New Zealand. They went for an elimination strategy. The government did a hard lockdown, and, similarly to Victoria, imprisoned everyone in their homes, only leaving the essential stores like general supermarkets and pharmacies open. Everyone had to maintain their own “personal bubble”. Sure, it worked for some time, but just a few days after declaring themselves COVID free for one-hundred days, the virus sprung back up and began to spread again. And just like that, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shutdown Auckland for three days, then extended it to around two weeks. Even more concerning, she postponed the election, a pillar of democracy, for four weeks. Impeding democracy in such a way should disturb the public. If a government can postpone an election, how much further can they go to hold on to power? Postponing indefinitely? Not allowing you access to your democratic right to vote? After all, New Zealand are not the only ones with elections approaching. Queensland and Victoria both have State Elections coming up, one in a few months, and one next year. Queensland’s issue currently is their attempt to restrict journalists from reporting on Government corruption scandals during the election period, as well as unnecessarily closing their borders to NSW. The press exists to hold politicians to account, and so should not be censored simply because the government does not like what they are reporting. Similarly, borders should not be closed without good reason, and protecting yourself in an upcoming election does not fall into that category. As to Victoria, there is no doubt the Premier is doing all he can to clutch on to power. He will not even allow Parliament to open to debate these matters, and if he doesn’t, it is difficult not to view his rule as a dictatorship.

One thing you will notice in relation to COVID19 is that every day, we hear the case numbers and death toll, but we never hear the recovery rates. This is not a mistake. Governments are deliberately not announcing the numbers of recovered cases because they are afraid that if they do, the fear amongst the public will dissipate. Fear is what feeds their control. If the people are not sedated with fear, the government loses control. You will also notice that as soon as Daniel Andrews announced Victoria would enter Stage 4 restrictions, he also made it illegal for people to leave their homes to protest. That is because he does not want you protesting the State for your freedoms. Keep in mind that if this State of Emergency continues forth with no limit, your freedom dies with it. You’re at the mercy of the State. Whatever they say goes. It is a miserable plight.

This is in no way limited to Victoria. Other States have, throughout this COVID19 period, implemented draconian measures that have removed freedoms from the public. Excessive border closures are preventing people from seeing their loved ones, with some set to last past Christmas and into 2021. This could easily be viewed as unconstitutional. Some States have even gone so far as to ban hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has been shown to be effective if used as a preventative or in the early stages of the virus. This begs the question: do these governments really want this virus to disappear? Or are they secretly hoping it continues so that they can grow even more powerful, overriding democracy for the greater good?

Freedom is never free. There is always a price to pay. Our forebears paid for our freedoms with their lives. If we want to maintain them and protect them for future generations, we need to be willing to dedicate time and effort into defending the freedoms that they so valiantly fought for. We have long been too complacent when it comes to our civil liberties. We can no longer take them for granted. It is past time we started standing up for our rights. Yes, our health is important, but so are our civil liberties. We may be tempted by comfort, but if we surrender our civil liberties, we risk a life without freedom, a life of misery. That is no way to live.

Like all good things, freedom is something we must fight for. As the great Benjamin Franklin once said: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Fight for your freedoms.

In recent times, we have borne witness to the age of politicians exiting the Parliamentary stage in an unruly and bitter manner. Harboring only malice and contempt for those who put them in positions of power, these individuals put their true nature on full display, often resorting to unwarranted vile attacks on those they should be grateful to. In doing this, they expose themselves as no more than tragic ghosts, hanging around the political scene like a bad smell, attempting to squeeze anything they can out of their political careers in the hope of maintaining even a shred of relevance.

This is the attitude of Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a man who has gone the way of Kevin Rudd, resigning from Parliament after a loss, and using the time since to ruthlessly attack his own colleagues, his own Party, the government that he led. Since his “retirement” from politics, Turnbull has chosen to continue to play politics, popping up every so often to tell Prime Minister Scott Morrison how he should be running the country as if he still considers himself PM. With the poorly timed release of his memoir A Bigger Picture, Turnbull has recently been on the press junket, albeit choosing to appear on media outlets that will not challenge him as such, rather giving him open slather to denigrate his enemies, with the ABC even allowing him to make derogatory and sexist remarks towards political commentator Peta Credlin unchallenged. Rather than going out with his reputation at least somewhat intact, Turnbull has chosen to forego maintaining any dignity whatsoever, tearing to shreds what little humility he had left.

Over the years since Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd left the Parliament after suffering an election loss, he has made it well known that he wishes to remain relevant. He has also made known his utter hatred for the Murdoch owned media, to which there is a sweet irony given Rupert Murdoch himself endorsed Rudd for PM prior to the 2007 election. Rudd has made numerous appearances on various media outlets, in which he has attacked the Murdoch press, the government and the Prime Minister. Most recently, he appeared on Sunrise and once again denounced the Murdoch print media. Additionally, in an editorial written for The Economist, he labelled US President Donald Trump’s decision to cut funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a move which was deserved given the way the WHO have acted throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a “lunatic decision”. Rudd has also attempted to become the Secretary General of the United Nations, a position he failed to attain due to the Turnbull government’s decision not to nominate him, however has just recently attained a position on the International Monetary Fund external advisory group, again linked with the United Nations, a position which will no doubt fuel his attacks on the government. Rudd’s relentless attacks on those who run this country, and his obsession with the Murdoch media, has resulted in his becoming what we in the political world now refer to as a miserable ghost.

Much like Turnbull and Rudd, former Liberal Opposition Leader John Hewson has also been hanging around the political scene like a miserable ghost. His failure to win the so-entitled “unlosable” election became relevant yet again last year when Bill Shorten suffered the same fate. In recent times, Hewson has strayed from Liberal lines, writing articles and making appearances on the ABC to peddle the climate agenda. In fact, just this week, Hewson penned an article using the current health crisis to push climate change and believing the “science”, something that could be viewed as opportunistic. Like Hewson, both Rudd and Turnbull have also pushed climate change as a major world issue, when there are more pressing matters at hand. All three of these miserable ghosts refuse to go quietly and maintain some dignity, unlike two other former PMs of recent times who have done just that.

If Turnbull, Rudd, and Hewson were to look to anyone for an idea of how they should be acting post-Parliamentary life, they should look no further than former Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott. Both these former PMs have gone on to do good after their time in Parliament came to an end. Since leaving office, Julia Gillard has become the Chair of Beyond Blue, using her platform to help those struggling with their mental health, no doubt saving lives through this work. For this, she should be applauded. Tony Abbott has followed a similar path of helping people, continuing what he has done for many years, even while he was still in Parliament, through volunteering as a firefighter. This is something he has done for over fifteen years, and continues to do now, serving his community and saving homes and lives in the process. Like Gillard, he should be applauded for the work he does. Both these former PMs are doing work that paints them in a positive light and garners great respect from the wider community, rather than moping around attacking their former colleagues and those that work hard to keep this great country running.

If anything is to be taken from the actions of former Prime Ministers following their departure from the Federal Parliament, it is that being humble and using your platform to engage in positive work is far more respectable than hanging around the political scene like a miserable old ghost, tragically attempting to haunt those who you think have wronged you. For the latter only carries a single fate: loss of dignity, loss of respect, and a tragic, miserable life.