There have been relatively few well-published examples of Australian local government officials condemning COVID-era State government overreach.
Enter Victorian City of Melton, councillor Moira Deeming.
In a Zoom speech addressing her local council colleagues, Deeming blasted the Victorian Labor state government for using the COVID crisis as an excuse to increase its grip on power, saying:
This week- after some of the harshest and longest lockdowns in the world.
After hoarding all the States powers and using them to crush public dissent.
After constantly promoting fear, contempt and division.
After trampling over patient-doctor confidentiality, and the principles of free and informed consent for medical procedures; and after gleefully announcing that Victoria will now embark on a new era of social segregation, Daniel Andrews had the arrogance to refer to himself as a ‘Father figure’, when in reality he is more like ‘Big Brother’ from Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984.
Her 2-minute condemnation of medical segregation damned the false divide being created between the “vaccinated” and unvaccinated, with the fiery counsellor reminding her colleagues, “The Government has admitted that Covid-vaxed and Covid-unvaxed can both catch, carry and transmit covid viruses- and almost at the same rate.”
She then queried, “Yet, only one of those groups is being treated as though they are inherently dirty, diseased and dangerous.”
Only one of those groups has been denied a place in public.
Only one of those groups has been denied the right to do honest work support their families.
Only one of those groups is being denied the right to attend swimming lessons and school concerts with their children.
Only one of those groups is being told to wait outside like dogs, when picking up online orders of clothes and shoes for their children.
Only one of those groups has been barred from representing their voters in Parliament House.
Citing global condemnation of the Andrews state government the rookie councillor continued, “Only one of those groups has been labelled ignorant and selfish by the very same Government internationally branded as, and I quote ‘a model of what not to do in a pandemic.'”
“The very same government,” Deeming quipped, “that, when investigated over just one of its own absurd mismanagement scandals, turned out to be led by a bunch of goldfish who could not recall a single relevant detail!”
Reflecting on the past year, Cr. Deeming ended her speech with a word of warning:
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned during my first year as a Councillor is that Local Government Council is often where the rubber hits the road when it comes to State Government laws. And my creeping assumption is that this government and all other governments like it, need to be reminded that they exist to protect human rights, not blackmail us with them.
Deeming also acknowledged the efforts of dissenting Victorian MPs, Neil Angus, Catherine Cummings, Tim Quilty, David Limberi, Adam Somurak, and Bernie Finn.
Of importance, among those mentioned, Cummings (IND), Quilty (LDP) and Limberik (LDP), according to Rebel News’ Avi Yemini, have formed their own “rebel parliament” in a Melbourne nightclub after being suspended for “refusing to show proof of vaccination.”
Yemini said, “The rebellious MPs described the government’s actions as ‘unreasonable’, including the rejection of a Covid rapid antigen test as an alternative to vaccine passports.”
All three are unable to vote.
Other motivations behind the contents of Cr. Deeming’s speech is concern over a new bill put forward by the Andrews Labor Government that will, as Yemini explained, “effectively give the Premier absolute and unchallenged control over the lives of Victorian citizens.”
The bill passed the lower house on Thursday 51-26. The bill now has to sit through the Upper House, with the Liberal-National opposition saying they will ‘ditch’ the dictatorial pandemic laws if elected.
Cr. Deeming’s condemnation of the Andrews government’s ersatz “Reichstag Fire” power grab legislation coincides with the Victorian Bar association president uncharacteristically slamming the bill.
Quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald, Christopher Blanden, QC, called the laws “appalling.”
He also stated, “The new laws, designed to replace sweeping state of emergency powers, would give the Premier unprecedented power with little to no checks and balances. Stasi police would have been more than happy with the range of powers if they were given it.”
QC Blanden’s concerns are shared by the Law Institute of Victoria.
Cr. Deeming’s speech follows a decision by Fair Work Australia to suspend Deputy president Lyndall Dean.
Dean was suspended and told to ‘attend’ sensitivity training sessions, for agreeing on social media with a post arguing that COVID public health orders were on par with “Chinese-style totalitarian social control”.
Her other crime was issuing dissent in a recent unfair dismissal case which ended up communicating to worker’s that they had no rights when it came to vaccine mandates.
Dean’s crime was standing by civil liberties, and the rule of law, over against governments and their authoritarian rule by decree.
“Never have I more strenuously disagreed with an outcome in an unfair dismissal application,” Dean said. “The Decision manifests a serious injustice to Ms Kimber that required remedy.”
She then asserted, “All Australians should vigorously oppose the introduction of a system of medical apartheid and segregation in Australia. It is an abhorrent concept; is morally and ethically wrong. The anthesis of our democratic way of life and everything we value.”
See ACL director Martyn Iles apt summary:
Cr. Deemings’ speech hits all the right notes.
The data about COVID infection and transmission does not support the fantasy, fanaticism, or fear porn.
Holding people’s jobs over their heads for a virus that has a 99.7%+ survivability rate is more about politics, not medicine.
Case in point: It makes no rational sense that my 2nd eldest daughter is allowed to spend 5-hours shopping for food, yet is not allowed to spend 5-hours working at her usual retail job.
She’s also well under 60, and has less than 1% chance (so 99.9% survivability), yet she can’t work because, “science.”
At what point do Australians stop, think and say enough is enough?
At what point do people who are claiming to follow “science” stop and recognise they’re actually following carefully constructed propaganda and are being led to put feelings before facts?
At what point do we follow Reagan’s advice and say to governments, “There is a price we will not pay. There is a point beyond which you must not advance.”
At what point do we rise with the courage to say to an overbearing, obese bureaucratic caste, “Hell, no! We’ve been gracious enough. We refuse to let you drag us and our children over the precipice of the Abyss any further!?”
Cr. Deeming’s speech reflects courage.
For as long as Deeming, and an increasing number of brave politicians like her continue to rise up, the power-hungry are reminded that the public are not clueless pawns.
Every politician dazzled by the power COVID cultism hands them is put on notice. You serve the public; the public does not serve you.
And this public’s patience is wearing thin.
