Barker MP blasts Nicola Spurrier and health “bureaucrats” over Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates

Liberal MP Tony Pasin has taken aim at Nicola Spurrier as he voiced his support of regional ‘freedom’ rally protesters demanding the removal of Covid-19 rules.

Liberal MP Tony Pasin has taken to the streets of his regional electorate in support of “freedom” protesters putting the state government and health officials on blast for the use of emergency powers in response to Covid-19.

With drums, banners and shouts of “my body my choice” more than 150 people turned out to a freedom protest staged in Mount Gambier on Saturday.

The Limestone Coast Pro Choice Movement protesters marched along Commercial St decrying the current “state of emergency” demanding a return to normal and the removal of all restrictions.

When the march arrived at the Railway Lands it was met by surprise attendee – the Federal MP for Barker – where he told the crowd to “keep pursuing your protest it’s about freedom”.

Federal Barker MP Tony Pasin has blasted South Australia’s current Covid-19 restrictions. Picture: Supplied

Addressing the crowd, Mr Pasin made a stand against “idiosyncratic rules” implemented by the unelected health sector “bureaucrats” and the ongoing use of the Emergency Management Act.

“The keys of government have been handed over to people who work in health and they’re making these rules,” Mr Pasin said.

“If it was up to Nicola Spurrier I’m pretty sure we’d stop driving cars on the road because they’re dangerous.

“These powers were about bushfires, they’re about cyclones, they’re about floods, they’re about events that are short in nature.

“Once the immediate risk is over, once the floods subsided, the fires contained, the cyclones moved on then the politicians are back in control – your representatives are back in control.

“This emergency seems to be going forever.

“The measure for me that it’s not an emergency is that I see people walking their dogs down my street – you don’t walk your dog down a street in an emergency, you get out of there.”

The double vaxxed politician said he would have been more “sceptical” if “the effective mandates that we now have in place been in place then”, saying people should be able to go about their lives without vaccination certificates.

“We’re creating two classes of Australians – the vaccinated class and the unvaccinated class,” Mr Pasin said.

“It’s not government’s job to force you into a medical procedure that you perhaps don’t want to participate in.

“I’m not required when I go (for) a coffee, to tell the barista that I take blood pressure medication … I don’t need to tell the barista I broke my leg as a 7 year old … so why should we have to give up that information voluntarily to all and sundry?”

Limestone Coast Pro Choice Movement committee member Maddy Fry at Saturday’s protest in Mount Gambier. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Maddy Fry who is a committee member of Limestone Coast Pro Choice Movement which leads a weekly protest, said the crowd was not “anti vax”, but were opposed to “any restrictions that fall under the Emergency Management Act”.

“Half of these people are vaccinated with double jabs,” Ms Fry said.

“It’s not just the mandated vaccines were opposed to … we’re opposed to the mandated check-ins, the mandate of border control.

“They’re controlling people’s lives, and we just want things to go back the way they were.”

As of December 20, 92.8 per cent of Mount Gambier and District of Grant residents aged 15 and over had received their first dosem, with 87.5 per cent double jabbed.

On Monday, SA recorded 105 new Covid cases the first time since the pandemic began that daily cases have hit triple figures.