If you consider all of the warped, awful notions that so-called liberals have released in the 21st century, it’s surprising that mundane, everyday safety, of all things, was the final straw. That is, at most, what has transpired in COVID-era Australia.
What occurred in March 2020 triggered an administrative domino effect that has overloaded our democratic accountability; it’s turned upside down nearly every standard of liberal democratic rule, and drastically transformed the relationship between government and citizens, maybe for generations.
The Lockdowns are Breaking Records
Victoria and New South Wales, Australia’s top two provinces, are on lockdown nearly 18 months after the disease arrived on these beaches. Together, they account for nearly 60% of the country’s population.
Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, is on the verge of breaking London’s record for the longest period of lockdown in the world, with a total of 207 days in total. These quarantines are amongst the most severe in the world. In Melbourne, you are only allowed to leave your house for two hours per day exercising and another two hours to go shopping.
Between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., there is a curfew. It is forbidden to travel more than three miles from your house. Contravening these and other related restrictions can result in fines ranging from $1,300 to $15,000.
Thanks to its military enforced draconian lockdowns, Australia's "zero Covid" success is breaking new records 🇦🇺💪 pic.twitter.com/2zdpyG6kit
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) August 31, 2021
The rest of the nation is theoretically “open,” but so many venues are subject to different limitations (such as mask laws even outside and capacity limits) so high that many companies are unable to make a profit.
Shutdowns are also never far away, as state authorities frequently issue stay-at-home orders in response to egregiously low case numbers. Sydney was placed on lockdown in June, with only 82 reported cases throughout the state. Only six people were required for Melbourne’s shutdown to happen.
Prison Australia – ‘Covid prison’: UK slams Australia’s endless lockdowns and border closures | https://t.co/dTUfhOvkyw pic.twitter.com/fN5IQNCuXK
— Reignite Democracy Australia (@reignitedemaust) September 4, 2021
Free Movement Has Ended
Inside Australia, free movement has all but disappeared. Each state legislature has most likely implemented illegitimately complex entry conditions for interstate tourists; meanwhile, state borders are frequently closed entirely.
Returning citizens are often unable to enter their home state, due to rigorous entry rules. This is an issue that has lately seen tent cities spring up along the border between Victoria and New South Wales, thereby creating a class of internally displaced people in Australia.
Going abroad is likewise restricted, even for dual citizens and legal residents; this is a rule which would cause a minor diplomatic crisis in any other circumstance. People are able to obtain an exemption; although, exemptions are frequently denied.
In the majority of cases, these limitations were imposed by unaccountable health officials with unprecedented authority under open-ended emergency measures. In truth, congressional sessions have been postponed on numerous occasions under the guise of preventing illnesses.
An impending session of the Victorian legislature in Melbourne, for instance, was discreetly canceled last week on the authority of an unnamed government body designated only as the “COVID-19 Response Division.”
