The government move to cancel Djokovic’s visa is sheer political farce.
Immigration minister Alex Hawke’s claim that Djokovic’s visa has been canceled “on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so”, does not pass the pub test.
With Omicron cases sky-rocketing across Australia, Djokovic, who has tested negative for Covid, cannot credibly be claimed a health risk. Morrison has changed the Covid rules so that Covid positive workers can be forced to work, but a Covid-negative tennis player can’t play tennis.
He may have recklessly appeared in public in Serbia when he was Covid-positive, but stupidity is not a ground for cancellation.
And the cancellation has got nothing to do with “good order”, or the “public interest”, and everything to do with Morrison and the government trying to save political face.
“This is straight out vindictiveness and political opportunism. Morrison is gambling that the decision to cancel will help stop him falling even further behind in the opinion polls,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“Morrison has pursued Djokovic in the same way he pursued the Medevac refugees. In 2019 Morrison swore to overturn the Medevac legislation after he was defeated on the floor of Parliament.
“One hundred and ninety-two refugees were brought to Australia under the legislation, but the government used its power to punish them and prevent them getting medical treatment after they were transferred,” said Rintoul.
“The Minister could use his god-like powers to release the refugees, but Morrison was determined to thwart the Medevac legislation in the same way the Minister was determined to thwart the court’s first ruling in Djokovic’s case.
“Around sixty people are still being tortured by the government in hotel-prisons and detention centres, more than two years after they were transferred, and almost nine years including offshore detention, just because they can.
“The Minister’s decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa would be a sideshow if it was just between Scotty-from-marketing looking for headlines and a celebrity tennis player. But the government is power-drunk; the decision may cost Djokovic the Australian Open, but the refugees are paying with their lives.
“The government has failed the character test. It’s absolute power to detain has corrupted them absolutely.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
