‘Hilarious comments from McGowan. The virus clearly can’t be crushed and killed. It’s a virus’

Jab hand: Will ScoMo’s flood of Pfizer save the day? Picture: Getty Images

Welcome to the column where you provide the content. Scott Morrison unveiled a potentially game-changing deal to triple access to Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to one million doses a week from July 19, as premiers continued to snipe. Mark McGowan waded in, proclaiming an indefinite “hard border” with NSW until it “crushed and killed the virus”. Stop Talking said:

“Hilarious comments from McGowan telling NSW to ‘crush and kill the virus like Victoria did last year’. Look how that worked out. Another lengthy lockdown in Victoria this year. McGowan, the virus clearly can’t be crushed and killed. It’s a virus.”

Diana declared:

“Such good news. Only spoilt by Mark McGowan’s unnecessary, sniping and malicious remarks. A leader needs to be wise, courageous, dignified and – in Australia during this pandemic – supportive of other states. McGowan displays none of these defining qualities.”

Jones dug for dirt:

“All that iron ore is making his brain rusty.”

Beauty, said Buddy:

“These extra doses are really good news and I’m sure Mr Morrison’s trip to the G7 where he garnered strong support from all the member States has allowed the earlier export of additional Pfizer to occur. Now the question is will the states be able to ramp up the administration of the vaccines or will they still find a reason to blame the federal government. I’m sure the Qld mob will find something to blame on the Commonwealth to cover their incompetence. As a matter of interest these latest lockdowns in NSW and Qld had nothing to do with hotel quarantine.”

Paul’s post script:

“A fine point buddy. But Sydney started with a driver taking aircrew to hotel isolation until they left Australia. But really does it matter?”

Full Marks: Read my lips … oh wait. Picture: Getty Images

Sze-Ming said:

“Now the Commonwealth have done their bit, it’s now up to the states to do theirs.

That’s as long as the ALP states don’t find something else to whine about.”

Still Bryan said:

“What amuses me is that the same people who bang on about equity in healthcare are happy for, so far, Covid death free Australia to take precious Pfizer vaccine supplies from other, mostly third world countries, where thousands are dying. The left redefine hypocrisy every day.”

IanJ’s opinion:

“Good news now let’s give everyone the choice of vaccine and watch the increase in take up. It won’t happen until that choice occurs.”

Thumbs up from GWall:

“Great scoop Dennis and Yoni, a million Pfizer doses a week is a genuine game changer. Let’s hope this brings an end to the wringing of hands about vaccine supply and a permanent opening of state borders. We need to get back to being one country.”

Luke wondered:

“A million Pfizer vaccines a week, what will Albo have to moan about then?”

Chris answered:

“He will be straight back on the climate change wagon. Probably attack the federal government for not shipping the vaccine on a solar panel ship.”

Margaretta mused:

“Do we ask which Pharma company has manufactured the flu or any other vaccine for that matter? We are lucky to have vaccines. The Brits and many others didn’t squabble over which vaccine they received. The evidence of their success is on our TV screens each day.”

Paul countered:

“Never heard of those injected getting clots from a flu jab. As for the Brits Covid was out of control, it was almost a clutching at straws moment, anything to reduce infections/deaths.”

Chris added:

“Every year people die from the flu jab, usually anaphylaxis. There’s risk with every medical procedure.”

JMC said:

“Remember when the Pfizer vaccine need to be stored at minus 80 degrees, making it a nightmare logistically. When the AZ makers gave a licence to manufacture here and we thought the Australian developed vaccine would be approved. Is there little doubt why the federal government made the calls it did?”

Conspicuous Cliff:

“Very good point. At the time the decision to invest in local production of AZ was a no brainer. The scaremongering about AZ will cost many more lives than blood clots. Have you heard about myocarditis associated with Pfizer yet?”

Sophie said:

“Yes, and then the pharmaceutical company (Pfizer) did more testing and was able to show that the vaccine was still stable after 30 days from being thawed. This means the vaccine can be used more easily and doesn’t necessarily require ultra low temperature fridges. The issue about myocarditis is real. This is a rare but real complication in young men and again affirms why vaccinated should never be mandated and is an individual clinical decision.”

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Filing cabinet: Have our leaders used Covid as an excuse to put policy on the backburner? Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Peta Credlin bemoaned the lack of leadership, and said she had a sneaking suspicion our current crop of leaders had quite enjoyed the pandemic because it had given them an excuse for neglecting the reform that Australia needs. Rachael was rapt:

“Great article Peta. ‘Lifelong political bubble dwellers, more driven by polling and focus groups than conviction’. I hope they are taking note. “

Jeffrey said:

“Unfortunately Australia has a dithering mess – a weak leader who is unwilling to take up the mantle in our time of crisis, a so called ‘leader’ who won’t accept responsibility for quarantining, vaccine rollout or any other aspect of our current malaise, a ‘leader’ whose specialty is to fob off all hard decision making. This person’s nom de plume is ScoMo.”

Daryl’s view:

“The scorched earth approach to opposition taken by Abbott and aided by Credlin became the model and hasn’t helped.”

Jock’s prescription:

“The senate has a lot to answer for. How can a government legislate anything when they don’t hold the balance of power in the senate? Let’s change that and have at least 4 year set parliamentary terms, if not 5 and get Credlin into federal politics.”

Russell blamed the culture wars:

“It’s really pretty simple Peta, call it what you will but both sides of politics and unbelievably commerce as well are far too focused on gender diversity, virtue signalling, imagined racial disharmony, affirmative action, renewable energy/climate change, culture cancelling and general self loathing. There is no push back by most of our political or business leaders against what is called in general the woke industry, nor by most of the media either.”

Janis agreed:

“A comprehensive list by Russell which outlines the issues that swamp in Australia today affecting leadership, the media totally embedded in driving directions on these issues especially ABC. Everyday PM is faced with accusations and speculations, demands of which Covid is only small part. Neither Hawke, Keating nor Howard had to face ongoing daily intense alarmist negativity by media saturation. In those days media was on side with the majority view, now it is minority they support. Sadly Peta has missed the point. Change is happening, massive societal change faster than most like or want. Each PM exists in different era, and social change is the order of the day, not Treasurer pronouncements which it seems even business take scant interest in.”

Paula’s plan:

“A focus on developing visionary, purposeful productive initiatives would help: coal and nuclear energy to assist manufacturing, building dams and the Bradfield Scheme, the Iron Boomerang to open up the interior linking by rail Bowen coal with Pilbara iron to manufacture steel both ends, skills. Development to service, for starters to get people inspired.”

Fred wasn’t fooled:

“Spot on, and the sad part is that the ‘distraction’ of Covid probably gave them the best chance to get some reform through. There are so many areas to start, and they’ve squandered the opportunity. IR, tax reform, bring in nuclear (for the reasons as you mentioned), pause immigration, free speech at unis, sell the ABC. With all the Covid spending, it was also an opportunity to cut unnecessary spending.”

This prompted Peta Credlin to reply:

“Dear Fred, you are right to pick up the ‘upside’ of the Covid downside! I was hopeful last year that out of the calamity of this pandemic, we might have fundamentally altered our policy settings; that we might have used this moment in time to stop, take stock, and wind back some of the globalism to protect and support our nation into the future. Our lack of sovereign manufacturing capacity, worn down over years by rising onshore costs, is just one example.

“I remember interviewing a small regional business that was one of Australia’s last manufacturer of medical grade masks. Like so many businesses, this owner struggled to compete with imports because our region – one of the most competitive in the world – pays workers so poorly. The two biggest inputs into manufacturing are labour and energy. We should never aspire to compete on low wages but we once had a trump card on energy (still do) – Asia has nothing like the natural resources we are blessed with, yet here we are, destroying our strongest competitive advantage … for what? Similarly, on immigration. I strongly support immigration but we have no long term plan. It’s ad hoc. The pandemic pause gave us a rare moment to get this right.

“Modern politics, with its three-year election cycle, doesn’t allow much space in the political and public debate, to reshape the future. But the pandemic has given us that rare moment in time. It happened after world wars, it’s happened after significant financial shocks, and you are right, we’ve had a similar opportunity with Covid. Question is – have we missed it?”

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Point blank: ‘She’s making long, ambling statements that have no relevance to the terms of reference’ whinged MP Warren Entsch. Picture: AAP

Greens senator Lidia Thorpe’s claims that she was silenced during a parliamentary inquiry into the Juukan Gorge scandal brought forth howls of derision from Coalition and Labor MPs alike, accusing the senator of grandstanding and being economical with the truth. BillG reckoned:

“Ms Thorpe is clearly of the opinion that she has more say because of her claimed background, if not more value. What she doesn’t acknowledge is that she was not elected to the Senate, but is there because she was hand-picked by a very minor political party called the SA Greens which gained only 10pc of the more than 1.134 million Senate votes, and only 1 seat in the lower house in the last Federal election. If she really believed in true democracy she would have refused the offer and requested the next person who received the most votes, regardless of Party, be selected. She can still stand for something other than her own ego by standing down now. I won’t hold my breath!

“If ever there was a case for our electoral system to be reviewed she is the best example.

I won’t waste further breath by requesting our present government to do something about it because pandering to minorities is Morrison policy. However, all it takes to achieve a review is to add the question for change to maximum votes in both Houses is a referendum at the next election, and then the pollies can hide behind the peoples vote!”

Bombardier’s blast:

“It’s just hilarious how these female politicians claim they are silenced months or years after an event. First Julia Banks and now Thorpe. They have the largest opportunities – far greater than almost anyone to either say something in parliament or call a press conference. Plus they have social media accounts with masses of followers. How can anyone take them seriously?”

Keong said:

“ ‘One of the problems that we’re having with her all the way through is her activism. She’s making long, ambling statements that have no relevance to the terms of reference.’ There it is. This is the typical behaviour of the woke or politically correct types. Senator Thorpe is only interested to show how much of a victim she is and be the centre of attention. She doesn’t like to have any solution because the solution will remove her position as a victim.”

Halifax looked forward:

“The sooner Jacinta Price wins the next Senate election and counters the absurdity of The Accidental Senator for Victoria, the better. Jacinta will provide cogent, sensible balance in the Senate on aboriginal and other issues. The ‘mouth from the south’ will probably be gone when her current term expires.”

Easy, said It’s all too hard!

“Using the Warhol as a unit of fame (15 minutes) she’s used up her life’s quota many times over.”

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