Scott Morrison reacts to Novak Djokovic being granted a vaccine exemption to play tennis

Scott Morrison has given more details about why Novak Djokovic’s visa was cancelled before the Australian Open.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said world No.1 tennis star Novak Djokovic could not prove the medical exemption he claimed he had and would get no “special treatment”.

It comes as the world’s media, sports stars, and everyday people reacted to backlash against the tennis champion, who arrived in Melbourne with a medical exemption from the Covid vaccine to play at this month’s Australian Open.

Mr Morrison said “he was unable to show proof to Border Force officers at the airport on Wednesday night and they are the rules and it happens on many occasions and that is what has now happened”.

“There were inquiries being made about whether quarantining was going to be waived and to my knowledge I still don’t know whether the Victorian government were proposing to waive quarantining — I am not making any comment on that. That was not the basis of any decision taken,” he said.

He also said getting on a plane was not an assurance that anyone could get into Australia.

He said people were welcome to come to Australia, but if you’re not double vaccinated and you’re not an Australian citizen, “you can’t come”.

“People try to run the border all the time. People come with a visa that may not satisfy other requirements for entry and people are put on planes and turned back all the time. Anyone who has watched those border patrol shows will understand. This is not a regular thing to happen if someone is put on a plane and told to return to their country, even if they may have come with a valid visa,” he said.

“A visa is one issue but you need to have a double vaccination for entry into the country and that is assessed at the border. We do not have Border Force officers in every airport around the country.

“He provided information to the airline to allow his entry on to the plane but people get on the plane, that is not an assurance that they will be able to come through Australia’s border at the other side. The problem is not necessarily with the visa.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

“And there are no special cases, rules are rules. It is what I said yesterday, that is the policy of the government, and (it) has been our government’s stronger border protection policies — and particularly in relation to the pandemic — that ensures Australia has one of the lowest death rates in Covid anywhere in the world,” he said.

“We were one of the first countries to move to shut our border. We were criticised at the time, but it was the right decision, and we have maintained those imported border controls over the entire period of the pandemic.”

Mr Morrison said he did not think it would affect Serbia’s relationship with Australia, describing the nation as a friend.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open champion. Picture: AFP

Djokovic touched down in Melbourne on an Emirates flight from Dubai on Wednesday night, before he was held for questioning by Australian Border Force officials and his visa was cancelled.

While it is understood the tennis player’s lawyers have lodged an appeal, Australian Border Force issued a statement saying it would continue to ensure those who arrived at the border complied with Australian laws and entry requirements.

“The ABF can confirm that Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled,” the statement read.

“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry, or who have had their visa cancelled, will be detained and removed from Australia.

“The ABF can confirm Mr Djokovic had access to his phone.”

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic insists the entire country is behind their tennis icon, and attacked Australia by claiming they are “harassing” the world No.1.

Vucic said on his official Instagram account: “Just finished a phone conversation with Novak Djokovic.

“I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him and that our bodies are doing everything to see that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player is brought to an end as soon as possible.

“In accordance with all the norms of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, for justice and truth. By the way, Novak is strong, as we all know him.”​

The nine-time Australian Open champion revealed late Tuesday he was en route to Melbourne with “an exemption permission”.

WORLD REACTS TO NOVAK’S CASE

Major international media outlets have reported widely on the outrage expressed across the nation.

The BBC reported that “Australians have reacted angrily to news that tennis player Novak Djokovic will play in the Australian Open, after being exempted from vaccination rules”.

Outspoken British TV host Piers Morgan described it as an “outrageous kick in the teeth to all Australians who’ve endured such draconian restrictions for so long”.

“Rewarding an anti-vax loon like this sends a terrible message,” he said.

Piers Morgan has lashed out at the top tennis player.

USA Today told its readers Djokovic’s vaccine exemption for the Australian Open “has spilled into the political arena with … even the nation’s prime minister threatening to send him ‘on the next plane home’ if he can’t prove the legitimacy of his medical reason not to be vaccinated”.

“Since the announcement that Djokovic received a medical exemption to play in the tournament, which confirmed that he is in fact unvaccinated, reaction on social media and in the Australian press has largely been cynical and angry,” the publication wrote.

“But matters grew more serious in the 24 hours since, with the possibility that he won’t be allowed into the country.”

Some international sports stars and many social media users were equally perplexed about why so many Australians were directing their anger at Djokovic.

American tennis player Nicoke Melichar-Martinez wrote on Twitter that she didn’t understand why Djokovic “is getting so much hate for his vaccine exemption”.

“He’s within the rules, and the government could have said ‘no’ but they didn’t,” she said.

Sam Street wrote on Twitter: “I hate to break it to you angry Australians, but Novak Djokovic wasn’t the one who made you spend almost two years in lockdown”.

It is understood Djokovic was seeking to enter Australia on a visa that did not permit medical exemptions to vaccination, allowing border officials to deny entry.

I don’t blame Djokovic either fyi. It’s not his fault. He asked for an exemption and got one (which is every humans right) . Perks of being the best player in the world. It’s the people allowing it to happen who are the problem and should be booed

— Dane Swan (@swandane) January 5, 2022

Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love & joy in every moment & may you feel love & respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet.

I’ve spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022! pic.twitter.com/e688iSO2d4

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 4, 2022

Stephen Parnis, a former Australian Medical Association vice-president, said the entire fiasco sent an “appalling message” to people trying to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“I don’t care how good a tennis player he is. If he’s refusing to get vaccinated, he shouldn’t be allowed in,” Parnis said on Twitter.

“If this exemption is true, it sends an appalling message to millions seeking to reduce #Covid19Aus risk to themselves & others,” he added.

Some players expressed surprise with the exemption, including British doubles player Jamie Murray, who said at the ATP Cup in Sydney: “I think if it was me that wasn’t vaccinated, I wouldn’t be getting an exemption”.

But Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said the defending champion had been given “no special favour” but urged the Serb to reveal why he got the exemption to soothe public anger.

All participants at the first grand slam of 2022, which starts on January 17, must be vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a medical exemption, which is granted only after assessment by two panels of independent experts.

Djokovic voiced his opposition to the Covid-19 vaccine in April 2020 when it was suggested the jabs might be obligatory so tournament play could resume.

“Personally I am not pro-vaccines,” said Djokovic at the time. “I would not like it for someone to compel me to be vaccinated so I can travel.”

Among the conditions allowing entry without a vaccine is if a person has had Covid-19 in the past six months. It has not been revealed if that was the case with Djokovic.

Former Australian ATP Tour player Sam Groth, now a TV commentator, wrote in a column in Melbourne’s Herald Sun that it was “a decision that spits in the face of every Victorian and Australian”.

There was also outrage on the streets of Melbourne.

“I think it’s disgusting. I think he should have made his mind up before now and it shouldn’t be a last-minute decision to get him in,” resident Ron Wilson told AFP.

Other residents of the Victorian capital city were more sympathetic, with Morteza Yari saying: “I think as long as the exemption is valid and they have valid reasons I don’t see a problem with that.”

Update on #AusOpen2022…

The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia.

We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.

1/2

— Jaala Pulford MP (@JaalaPulford) January 5, 2022

‘SICK HYPOCRISY’

Tiley said the two panels assessed each exemption without knowing the identity of the applicant and he did not know on what grounds Djokovic got the green light, which is confidential.

“I would encourage him to talk to the community about it … we have been through a very tough period over the last two years and would appreciate some answers to that.”

Groth agreed that Djokovic should reveal why he has been allowed in. “You’re willing to say you have an exemption but not willing to say why? It’s sick hypocrisy. I don’t like it at all,” Groth wrote.

Novak Djokovic announced this week that he was en route to Melbourne with ‘an exemption permission’. AFP

However, Tiley defended the integrity of the exemption application process, which is overseen by national and Victorian state governments.

He revealed that only 26 of the approximately 3000 players and support staff travelling to Australia for the tournament had applied for a vaccine exemption. Only a few of those had been successful.

“Any person who met those conditions has been allowed to come in. There’s been no special favour. There’s been no special opportunity granted to Novak,” Tiley said.

Melbourne and Sydney have both endured months of restrictions and lockdowns over the past two years and allowing Djokovic to travel was widely criticised.

– With AFP

Originally published as Scott Morrison reacts to Novak Djokovic being granted a vaccine exemption to play tennis