Thread: Corona Virus

Originally Posted by ChookD2

I have one more shift next Saturday then I have no work. As we live in Qld, my wife and I can't see our daughter in Sydney who is expecting our first grandchild in October, and the way things are going we won't be able to be there for his/her arrival. As things stand this child maybe 2 years old before we meet. **** this ****ing virus and the whole Chinese ****hole markets where it started. **** the Chinese grubberment for all it's deceit and misinformation. This ****ing virus might as well take me now because this is not going to get any better any time soon. All I see in the near future is chaos and excessive policing, freedom as we know it has gone and may never return, now they have more control they will not let it go easily. Our grubberment cannot maintain spending/borrowing BILLIONS of dollars to prop up the economy. Our successive grubberments have sold out this country to satisfy big business and their own hip pockets. I require a surgical procedure but will most likely have to let go of my private health insurance, so that will mean I go on to non-existant public waiting lists. This will all end in many many many tears and not all of them as a direct result of this ****ing virus.
Pessimist, if you like. Realist, maybe.
****ed off with the Chinese, you bet!
****ed off with our grubberments, ab-so-****ing-lutly!!

I'm sympathetic but the "excessive policing" was nothing more than the police enforcing the rules that have been in place for quite a while now and which about 99% of the population was complying with. And the policing wouldn't've been necessary if a subset of Australians didn't think that the rules don't apply to them - cases in point, the two couples having a picnic in the park near our house today and the mother who went into a nearby closed playground with her kids, noting that she had to either step over or push aside the exclusion tape that's been sufficient warning for literally hundreds of other people in the area for the last few weeks. No doubt both sets of idiots had rationalisations of some sort to sustain them.

Originally Posted by Tote

I reckon the states are taking their enforcement tactics far beyond what is necessary to protect public health. The latest example being Victoria police fining a couple for posting last years holiday snaps on facebook Couple fined more than $3000 after posting holiday pictures

Sounds like rampant over use of the legislation to me and withdrawing the fine doesn't magically make it better.

Regards,
Tote

You'll note that it was members of the public that complained to the police.

Originally Posted by Arapiles

You'll note that it was members of the public that complained to the police.

And rather than investigate they wrote a couple of $1600 tickets, really?

Regards,
Tote

Originally Posted by Tote

I reckon the states are taking their enforcement tactics far beyond what is necessary to protect public health. The latest example being Victoria police fining a couple for posting last years holiday snaps on facebook Couple fined more than $3000 after posting holiday pictures

Sounds like rampant over use of the legislation to me and withdrawing the fine doesn't magically make it better.

Regards,
Tote

And while here in the ACT we have the same basic self isolation laws as NSW, the one difference is that Police do not have the power to enforce it or issue fines - because the ACT Government has chosen the education rather than enforcement route. And guess what, from what I can gather from local media we seem to be more complying than NSW peoples and while there have certainly been stupid instances we have not needed the draconian enforcement of other states.

I actually think NSW and VIC police are enjoying their new new powers.

Originally Posted by Tote

I reckon the states are taking their enforcement tactics far beyond what is necessary to protect public health. The latest example being Victoria police fining a couple for posting last years holiday snaps on facebook Couple fined more than $3000 after posting holiday pictures

Sounds like rampant over use of the legislation to me and withdrawing the fine doesn't magically make it better.

Regards,
Tote

Yes. People here were fined for taking their rubbish to the dump. The fines have been overturned, and a complete review of all fines promised. But the damage has been done, the goodwill built up by the Police has been damaged.

Originally Posted by 101RRS

And while here in the ACT we have the same basic self isolation laws as NSW, the one difference is that Police do not have the power to enforce it or issue fines - because the ACT Government has chosen the education rather than enforcement route. And guess what, from what I can gather from local media we seem to be more complying than NSW peoples and while there have certainly been stupid instances we have not needed the draconian enforcement of other states.

I actually think NSW and VIC police are enjoying their new new powers.

Yes - like the ACT resident stopped for speeding near Cooma and following a search of his car, refused bail on drug and firearms offences. And fined $1,000 for travelling away from home without a valid reason.

If it weren't for the unfortunate side effect of creating some antagonism towards the police, the tough approach would be a brilliant tactic.
If those people had been let off with a warning, none of us would have heard about the incidents.
Because the media have had a field day fuelling anger by publicising incidents like the learner driver (who was 30km away from home at the time), we have all been reminded that we need to think before we step outside.
The police didn't write the restrictions but have the difficult job of applying them in a way that will be seen by most of the public as reasonable.
I note that quite a few of the people pulled up for ignoring restrictions have been found with drugs or illegal firearms or were breaking traffic regulations.
It would seem that some of the people fined are people who think none of our laws apply to them.

Smithsonian Scientists discover six new coronavirises in bats in Myanmar. They are not suspected to be harmful to humans, they took 759 samples, of which 48 showed signs of coronavirus. Most of the signs were in the guano, suggesting bat droppings could be the source of infection. Conspiracy theorists should put away their tin hats.



Smithsonian Scientists Discover Six New Coronaviruses in Bats in Myanmar
|
At the Smithsonian

| Smithsonian Magazine