‘Anger, desperation and frustration’: Readers try to make sense of anti-lockdown protests

Angry anti-lockdown protesters took to city streets on the weekend despite orders to stay at home in Sydney and Melbourne. In his opinion piece, ‘Anti-lockdown protests a sign of chaos growing in NSW’, columnist Sean Kelly wrote that while most would agree they were “idiots”, there was something about images of the protests that reflected the current moment ... “the burgeoning chaos, the sense of order fraying, the childish focus on self at the expense of others”. Kelly went on to note our politicians haven’t always lived up to the “we’re all in this together” mantra recently. Readers shared their frustrations at those protesting, but also those in power.

Anti-lockdown protesters in Sydney on the weekend.Credit: Brook Mitchell

RTP.: “If ever there was evidence that the Australian government needs to reverse its decrease in education spending over recent decades these individuals protesting lockdowns in the streets of our capital cities are it.”

Lino Montuno: “Sign of ill-discipline, infatuation with fantastical conspiracies and self-righteousness and self-importance. Education system not working? Capitalism driving people towards instant gratification? This is not real hardship. People in poor, war-torn countries are experiencing real hardship. Migrants fleeing crime, fighting and or persecution on leaky boats are experiencing real hardship.”

Phil 1943: “These protesters aren’t really demonstrating against threats to their freedom. Australia is a free country with few constraints on those behaving legally. Those noisy little darlings are protesting against inconvenience, against not being able to do whatever they want to do even if it endangers others. It is truly all about self-interest and we can only hope that one or another fringe political group doesn’t take up their cause to gain followers, a la Trumpists.”

Diane: “Every one person at Saturday’s protest would have represented five more at home. The protest wasn’t hard to predict. The Premier seemed surprised that people would do such a selfish thing. Think again, Premier and anyone bemoaning the event. If people’s stress levels rise due to isolation, family separations, job loss, business loss, depression, ‘cabin fever’ etc, then emotions will over-ride the intellect every time. I’m OK but thousands aren’t - and don’t be shocked when it happens again because it will.”

Kinabalu_break: “I think that seeing politicians, celebrities and billionaires swanning in and out of the country and around the country is corrosive when the general population is expected to make many sacrifices.”

TD: “‘Every leader has played politics in one way or another’. Too true. But why do we allow it? Take the daily press conferences. Each day, people are sucked down a vortex of fear and bravado. The daily pantomime put on by the Premiers is aimed fairly and squarely at those who cheer them on regardless. Certainly not at the people whose livelihoods are being decimated with every power-laden word that comes out of those so-called leaders’ mouths.”

Another Day: “Promise after promise, lies after lies by the government. People are sick of being locked down and bombarded every hour of the day with news on COVID vaccines, cases, deaths. Their anger, desperation and frustration are driven by loss of incomes, poverty, homelessness. Taking to the streets in protest and risk catching COVID-19 is the last resort. How else can their voice be heard?”

Vr0n: “And now that they’ve been heard and seen, what next? The protest is sure to prolong the lockdown, so it’s a pyrrhic victory at best.”

MG: “You can blame the pollies for all the disunity and also the inability of some Australians to see the importance of working together to get through this outbreak in NSW and also this pandemic. But the blame does not lie with just some of our pollies. Anyone who reads the comments in MSM or SM will see this division and disunity is being fuelled by some members of the public. You see this on display every day.”

Interested: “No comments should excuse the behaviour of the protesters. Irrespective of the actions of government and perhaps an increasing sense of concern and frustration from the population as a whole, doing what they did is wrong, very wrong. It is not an answer and will not bring change. It was the actions of selfish, misguided, troublemakers and shows a serious lack of common sense.”

‘You are going to the opening ceremony’

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates inspired much commentary when he seemingly put Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on the spot at a press conference, demanding she attend the Tokyo Olympics’ opening ceremony. In her opinion article, “Why I am grateful to John Coates (for his insulting treatment of Queensland’s most powerful woman)”, columnist Jenna Price wrote the public exchange exposed behaviour that was often only experienced by women privately. While some readers believed Coates’ words and tone towards an elected (female) leader were outrageous, others saw little reason to feel affronted.

John Coates and Annastacia Palaszczuk in Tokyo last week.Credit: Getty

Janine: “I’m so over this public patronising of women. I hope those who appoint Coates’ successor (may it be soon!) will remember this moment.”

bratman: “Sometimes some people should be ‘offended’. Palaszczuk should have told him where his ‘advice’ should go.”

Lyssa the Bat: “If this behaviour gets called out each time maybe we will eventually see more respect paid to women.”

Forza Lazio: “This says more about the AOC than any gender commentary. What a demeaning and disrespectful way to treat any leader. If there was some protocol that HAD to be observed then this should have, and could have been communicated privately. It speaks volumes about the Olympic movement, pompous and self-important.”

Ics12345: “The Japanese are particularly careful when it comes to protocol and diplomacy. It would have come across all the wrong way if the Premier had not done the right thing. Sometimes powerful people need to be nudged by those who have more experience. In the IOC forum, Coates has immeasurably more experience than Palaszczuk.”

Butterfly57: “The likelihood that AP will still be Premier in 2032 and therefore have a need to know the traditions of Olympic opening and closing ceremonies is pretty slim (based on Australian political cycles). Not even the public servants will be the same. Ridiculous reasoning.”

Reader: “She shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If she wasn’t there it wouldn’t have happened. It’s an insult to the millions still locked down.”

Dee Jay: “I think everyone here is very much missing the point. Palaszczuk put herself into a position by saying that she wouldn’t go to the opening ceremony which she should never have done. It was a set-up between the two of them to get her there. It was not bullying as some may think just a way around getting the premier out of a tight squeeze.”

Hans Brix: “This was a segment involving two complicit actors. It was clumsy by both of them in composition, execution and delivery. Amateur hour really.”

Miss Riverina: “It was staged managed. Everyone now gets what they wanted all along. Equality.”

Labor ditches negative gearing policy

Federal Labor this week dumped its signature housing policy of winding back negative gearing, while also abandoning its opposition to scheduled tax cuts for high-income earners. The decisions, which national affairs editor Rob Harris reported were endorsed by caucus with virtually no objections, prompted blowback from within the party’s progressive membership. While many readers were also appalled by the move, others saw reason behind it.

The opposition went to two elections promising to halve the 50 per cent capital gains tax deduction and limit negative gearing to new properties only.Credit: Paul Rovere

NewsNitPicker: “What! Sydney and Melbourne house prices are tipped to increase by 20 per cent ... this decision almost guarantees it. How about giving us a plan to make basic housing attainable and affordable? Along with supporting tax cuts for the well off ... Labor has just become Liberal Lite.”

World’sGreatestCat: “No, no no no no no! Sheer insanity, talk about losing their way.”

torp: “If the Greens come up with a sensible way to phase out or reduce negative gearing benefits to the ‘haves’ I will now be giving them my vote, despite vowing I never would. Negative gearing has to go in some form or another to ensure that housing is available to way more people including the younger generation wanting security and to start a family.”

Antony Falkingham: “Stupid gutless decision. This is an appalling public policy decision given the challenges Australia is about to face with an ageing population and increasing demands on health, welfare and plateauing population. I won’t even mention the unsustainable increase in the values of residential property which is an unproductive asset.“

Sheila Martin: “Tax cuts for billionaires and no dental in Medicare.”

Border Collie: “It’s a good call by Albo. Already the Australian tax load falls almost entirely on the top 20 per cent of taxpayers and the bottom 50 per cent pay almost no net tax. How long can we keep stirring up hatred and envy of successful people?”

ewotpk: “Great stuff, I get my tax cuts whoever wins! Might buy an investment property now and take advantage of the negative gearing too. A ‘rort’ is just a word used by people who aren’t smart enough to take advantage of the world we live in!”

JMcK: “The tax cuts are legislated. The negative gearing and franking credit situation is in place. If Labor took policies to the next election wanting to reverse any of these the election would become, again, about Labor’s Great Big New Taxes rather than the Coalition’s failures to be a decent, honest, inclusive and competent government. I don’t mark Labor down on this - they have to be IN government to make ANY changes and frankly right at this moment these issues aren’t the highest in importance.”

Wunderkind: “Not surprising, voters punished Labor for tabling progressive, forward-thinking policies that move the nation forward. I can understand them dumping the policy, although I despair that Australian voters have forced this issue. Self interest and tax cuts for the rich get rewarded, so Labor is trying to learn the lesson.“

only a little nuts: “Correct decision in my view. No point gifting a big target on your back for gratuitous attacks when the budget is in such deep debt, a few more billions from taxes will make no difference at all in the conceivable future. Budget repair is dead for at least a generation.”

Mishmash: “A real shame but they had no hope of winning if they took it to the election again. I, for one, strongly believe negative gearing in this country needs an overhaul.”

Concerned resident: “Should have put a cap on the number of properties at least.”

Online readers of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age made 64,062 comments on 589 stories in the past week.