Clayton’s Freedom
Despite lecturing, and gloating of global supremacy over the Delta virus, the Victorian Premier has handed Victorians a ‘Lockdown-Lite’.
In truth, this is a farce and much better described as a Clayton’s Freedom: the freedom you have when you don’t have freedom.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said in country Victoria where there is no virus, there is nothing ‘light’ about the heavy-handed approach.
“Here we go again: masks are still needed for people inside and out. They’re needed while working in a farm paddock, walking down an isolated rural road, down the street where the virus has never been.
"For many the greater risk would be a road accident exacerbated by ‘mask fog’ crossing a street, ” Mrs McArthur said.
“The isolation bubble – and the no visitors to your home rule – is excessive, lousy and cruel, especially in the regions.
"Yet, brothels are open for business, with up to 100 patrons; masked, socially distanced, square meterage sorted, no doubt!
“The home-bubble is cruel to children, parents, grandparents, older people living alone or younger people living in isolation. It’s cruel to those couples and families desperately trying to celebrate a wedding or mourn a life lost.
“It’s also anathema to people who have been fully vaccinated. Where’s the incentive to get vaccinated if you are constantly under threat of further restrictions or effectively remaining in lockdown wearing a mask?
“All the while, people can gather in supermarkets, handle every item in the store, go to the bottle shop to stock up - in order to drink alone.
“The restrictions stopping interstate boarding school students coming into Victoria are a disgrace – adding to the burden of lost education that has already been devastating enough.”
Newspaper reports on NAPLAN today indicate a `generation of young Australians has been let down’ with the national decline in writing skills now hitting a level below the 2011 national average, and boys two years behind girls by Year 9.
The Australian reports that, “By that stage, more than one in five students do not meet the national minimum standard.”
The Premier has decreed people should work from home. It’s another blow to walk-by retailers and face-to-face traders, now limited to one person per 4sq m.
“The restrictions on cafes and restaurants are unsustainable. The Premier has just ensured it’s not viable for many businesses to operate. Their doors have not been unlocked from Dan’s lockdown. Many will remain shut. Many will close for good.”
Other than Dan’s Fans, Victorians are sick of being confined by bureaucrats and a Premier who don’t show the science or medical advice upon which they flick their control switches over people’s lives.
“This is a Premier who stands there and tells other Premiers what to do, offers them advice because apparently he knows best.”
Premier Andrews’ WA Labor colleague, Mark McGowan, repeatedly said on Monday “The NSW government has made some terrible mistakes. They’ve got to take it more seriously.’’
“This is so incredibly offensive given Victoria has the worst results in Australia for the virus – while dealing with the former variant which was less infectious.
“801 people died from the Victorian Premier’s failures with Hotel Quarantine, and yet he has the audacity to point the finger at others and hand out advice. 920 have died Australia wide with 64 of those in NSW and 820 in Victoria. But who’s counting? Not Dan.
“The NSW figures are more impressive for the fact it has done the heavy lifting repatriating Australians and keeping international trade happening.
“Meanwhile Victoria spent $20 million on a failed inquiry to find those responsible for the fatal hotel quarantine private security guard fiasco. From the Premier down, memory loss was a serious affliction.
“He has no shame.
“Victorians, including the failed and failing private businesses, the students blocked from their classrooms for nearly 130 days, and those sick with other ailments that are killing more people every day than this virus has, are fed up. If they can, they are departing the State of Dan in droves.
“The ban on four more border communities from entering Victoria is appalling. His demands for a Sydney `ring of steel’, copying his Melbourne example, is laughable given Victoria has spent more days in lockdown than anywhere.
“We have had 5 lockdowns. Rings of steel haven’t stopped the virus. Lockdowns are no long term solution either.
"There are two patients in COVID ICU, with no advice regarding co-morbidities. Meanwhile millions of businesses and Victorians are on life support - not because of the virus but due to a fraught elimination strategy.
“The zero case approach in Victoria – is a zero case for gloating.”
“If ever there was need for sorry to be said, it is from this Premier, not only to an entire dilapidated and exhausted state, but to the families of those people who died under his watch: something he can’t recall your honour.
“Victorians now know very clearly how precious and fragile our freedom is. We can no longer take it for granted.
“It is worth fighting for, peacefully: in Parliament, on the airwaves, in the media columns and respectfully down every graffitied Melbourne alley and every country lane.
“And we don’t need a hovering China to remind us of this fragility – we’ve got the Victorian Premier to do that.”
28 July 2021