COVID-19 and Tennis

[kookaburra75]

Bob Hawke? Unfortunately he passed away in 2019. I don’t know of any other Hawke who would be patch on him.

Alex Hawke, who is the current Minister for Immigration would though - and I agree about comparing him to the "real" Hawkie.

 

[Anna]

To try to clear up the media's misconception about the Minister having 4 hours to decide (just one of the many, many things the media got wrong in their reporting yesterday):

Originally there was an interim order preventing Novax's deportation taking place before 4pm yesterday. Then as 4pm drew near, another order was made extending that time until 8pm yesterday. Then of course in the late afternoon the government decided to make its concession that its airport officials had bumbled, Novax was released and the time limit ceased to be relevant, except in the fevered imagination of journalists who had been making up twisted, distorted stories all day.

 

[antycbr]

Alex Hawke, who is the current Minister for Immigration would though - and I agree about comparing him to the "real" Hawkie.

Given the umpire ruled yesterday, my new nickname for Alex Hawke is Hawkeye, which is a system used to challenge the umpires decision. Let’s see what happens today…

 

[Must...Fly!]

Given the umpire ruled yesterday, my new nickname for Alex Hawke is Hawkeye, which is a system used to challenge the umpires decision. Let’s see what happens today…

No one ruled anything.

 

[DC3]

Given the deafening silence from the bureaucracy over the past 12 hours, they appeared to have thrown-in the tennis towel.

 

[Pushka]

The family terminated the media conference last night after these two questions: 1st. Can you confirm that Novac tested positive for Covid on December (insert date, I've heard a couple of dates) Answer. Yes, we have the official confirmation etc etc. 2nd. Was Novac with a group presentation. including children the day after his positive confirmation? Answer. That is the end of the interview.

 

[Must...Fly!]

The family terminated the media conference last night after these two questions: 1st. Can you confirm that Novac tested positive for Covid on December (insert date, I've heard a couple of dates) Answer. Yes, we have the official confirmation etc etc. 2nd. Was Novac with a group presentation. including children the day after his positive confirmation? Answer. That is the end of the interview.

Not isolating when testing positive would be MORE than enough evidence to satisfy me that his permission to be in Australia be revoked under poor character reasons.

Citizens in this country have gone to jail for that offence, I see no reason to allow him to stay when there is ample evidence to suggest that he was aware of his diagnosis at the time of being with others and not isolating. I understand Serbia is 14 days after positive?

 

[Pushka]

Not isolating when testing positive would be MORE than enough evidence to satisfy me that his permission to be in Australia be revoked under poor character reasons.

Citizens in this country have gone to jail for that offence, I see no reason to allow him to stay when there is ample evidence to suggest that he was aware of his diagnosis at the time of being with others and not isolating. I understand Serbia is 14 days after positive?

Certainly currently the case in SA right now - was put into the watchhouse but released pending court next month.

But suspect this will be an issue for Serbia not Australia and we know how that will work.

 

[andye]

Not isolating when testing positive would be MORE than enough evidence to satisfy me that his permission to be in Australia be revoked under poor character reasons.

Citizens in this country have gone to jail for that offence, I see no reason to allow him to stay when there is ample evidence to suggest that he was aware of his diagnosis at the time of being with others and not isolating. I understand Serbia is 14 days after positive?

The ones who have gone to jail have been convicted by a court. I think the Government will fold as its the least difficult option

 

[MARTINE]

The ones who have gone to jail have been convicted by a court. I think the Government will fold as its the least difficult option

Agree
The court of public opinion will now run this one - FWIW
I hope he is bundled out first game

 

[antycbr]

No one ruled anything.

The orders were made by consent of both parties. Including the government. However the Judge in his comments did not look too favourably on the government threatening to use the 133C power.

But that’s not how this is playing out in the court that matters - the court of public opinion which is now backing the underdog to some extent.

 

[Must...Fly!]

The ones who have gone to jail have been convicted by a court. I think the Government will fold as its the least difficult option

Yes that's true but as he has not committed any offence in Australia obviously he cannot be tried by a court.

That's just my opinion. I have been and remain disgusted at how we have criminalised being ill, but we should be fair to those in this country who have done wrong and are paying the price by making sure those who come to this country also have acted and can be expected to act sensibly.

 

[DC3]

… I think the Government will fold as its the least difficult option

They are already back under the doona.

 

[Lynda2475]

I don’t know of any other Hawke who would be patch on him.

Anyone who isnt a drunk would be a good start.

 

[Anna]

The govt doesn't need to deport him on character grounds. The whole question about the validity of his exemption is still technically up for grabs. There was no concession about that by the govt and that stupid remark by the judge about 'what more could he have done' was irrelevant and if it was a comment about the law it was in my opinion wrong because AFAIK there is no rule that a migrant is allowed into Australia on the grounds of 'I did all I could, what more could I have done?'

But it's no longer a legal issue, the political aspects have taken over and it is being misreported widely and misunderstood generally that Novax somehow 'won'. So now there are three camps, the rabid and vocal Novax supporters, a large section of the public who have been wrongly told by the media that Novax 'won' and therefore think that the govt should just let him get on with his life, and the third group is people who don't like that Novax, abetted by Tennis Australia, twisted the rules and got what he wanted. But the last group is now looking a bit churlish in the light of Novax seeming to have got a judge to make a decision in his favour. Which he did but only in a very narrow sense that he got a ruling he should be released, based on a govt concession about bumbling airport officials, and not because there is any govt concession or judicial finding that he had a valid exemption from being vaccinated.

 

[antycbr]

The govt doesn't need to deport him on character grounds. The whole question about the validity of his exemption is still technically up for grabs. There was no concession about that by the govt and that stupid remark by the judge about 'what more could he have done' was irrelevant and if it was a comment about the law it was in my opinion wrong because AFAIK there is no rule that a migrant is allowed into Australia on the grounds of 'I did all I could, what more could I have done?'

But it's no longer a legal issue, the political aspects have taken over and it is being misreported widely and misunderstood generally that Novax somehow 'won'. So now there are three camps, the rabid and vocal Novax supporters, a large section of the public who have been wrongly told by the media that Novax 'won' and therefore think that the govt should just let him get on with his life, and the third group is people who don't like that Novax, abetted by Tennis Australia, twisted the rules and got what he wanted. But the last group is now looking a bit churlish in the light of Novax seeming to have got a judge to make a decision in his favour. Which he did but only in a very narrow sense that he got a ruling he should be released, based on a govt concession about bumbling airport officials, and not because there is any govt concession or judicial finding that he had a valid exemption from being vaccinated.

The Government folded because they'd taken the temperature of the bench and it wasn't looking good.

IMO this is an issue where the Government pointed potential unvaccinated people trying to enter Australia to a morass of ATAGI advice, letters from ministers and state health regulations regarding quarantine and isolation. They thought it would hold up. The word exemption has different meanings in different contexts depending on the state and federal legislation and regulations.

The Commonwealth Government always had the option of passing regulation or legislation to remove all ambiguity, which they elected not to do. They have people who work for them who can write these things.

 

[Anna]

And @antycbr apparently there has now been a much clearer statement put on the immigration website that prior covid infection within the last 6 months is not a medical contra indication to vaccination.

Will be interesting to see what twist Novax comes up with for AO 2023!

 

[antycbr]

a much clearer statement put on the immigration website that prior covid infection within the last 6 months is not a medical contra indication to vaccination.

Guess it proves my point...

 

[DC3]

… stupid remark by the judge about 'what more could he have done' was irrelevant …

I would have thought that the Judge is able to ask any questions that he thinks fit.

Anyway, I think that both parties have moved on.

 

[SeatBackForward]

My guess is that the Government are panicking about what to do
-Piss off a foreign sporting celebrity who did the wrong thing, or
-Piss off thousands of Australian voters who have been trying to do the right thing.


I mean it seems pretty cut and dry to me, but that's also why I'm not a politician.