‘You can’t switch off people’s lives’: Rosehaven star on anti-lockdown protests
Rosehaven star Luke McGregor has blamed the anti-lockdown protests on a lack of financial support from the government as the arts and service industries struggle to make ends meet. LATEST >>
Police & Courts
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The obligatory bottle of wine that Luke McGregor and Celia Pacquola would have enjoyed upon the airing of Rosehaven’s fifth and final season on Wednesday has been put on hold, with the pair stuck in their homes amid the Melbourne lockdown.
McGregor, who co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning ABC TV comedy series with best friend Pacquola, took to his Instagram page on Monday to vent his frustrations at the lack of government-based financial support.
While Tasmanian born and bred McGregor was completely against the anti-lockdown protests that occurred in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday and the conspiracy theorists, he had sympathy for those who had lost wages and jobs.
“I do think (the protests are) at least partly driven by a lack of government financial support,” he said.
“As soon as a state is mandated by the government to go into lockdown, anyone who was eligible for payments like JobKeeper should immediately start receiving them again.
“You can’t switch off people’s lives and expect them to not be upset about it.”
McGregor has been fortunate to have had regular and uninterrupted employment through Rosehaven since it first aired in 2016, but many friends in the entertainment industry with touring and live shows have not been so fortunate.
The light-hearted comedy with relatable and charming characters is a breath of fresh air in these trying times.
“It has a slightly gentler pace and strays away from some of the more darker issues and more controversial topics, it provides a little breather,” McGregor said.
“We have tried to give all our regular cast a moment a shine in this final series and in episode four you can expect something very unexpected to happen for Rosehaven.”
Rosehaven will air on ABC TV on Wednesday, at 9pm.
Protesters march against ‘fake pandemic’
A GATHERING of protesters marched through Hobart in opposition to the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
People from local group Tasmanians for Truth and members of the public held the rally on Saturday.
The action came on the same day as rallies across the country, as anti-lockdown protesters in Sydney clashed with police and authorities in Melbourne arrested people without masks or ID before protests started.
Tasmanians for Truth member Kate Eagles said other medications which she believed were effective against the virus, had been “pushed aside”.
She was sceptical about the effectiveness of Covid-19 tests.
“People are being frightened into having the vaccination,” Ms Eagles said.
“I believe it’s a fake pandemic to sell a product.”
She said vitamins C and D could build immunity against viruses.
Australian Federation Party Tasmania chair Rob Newitt supported “no mandatory vaccination” and “no vaccination passport”.
The Australian government Health website said there was “insufficient evidence to support the safe and effective use of ivermectin, doxycycline and zinc … for the prevention or treatment of Covid-19” with more clinical trials needed.
The Therapeutic Goods Association website said all Covid-19 tests have “undergone an expedited assessment by the TGA to enable their legal supply in Australia”.
Tassie man who breached WA Covid-19 laws jailed
A TASMANIAN man arrested in WA after breaching that state’s Covid-19 laws will spend another month behind bars.
Kyle Rix Stephens, 32, was convicted of five counts of failing to comply with a direction in relation to his decision to tour around WA despite being told to stay at his Perth hotel and organise to return to Tasmania.
Stephens has been in custody ever since he was arrested on July 5 and appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court via video link from Roebourne Regional Prison.
Stephens was sentenced to six months, one day in jail – one month immediate jail with the remaining 5-months and 1-day suspended for 12 months.
He was also charged court costs of $134.50.
Stephens had travelled from Tasmania to WA on July 1
He and another man were arrested four days later at Nanutarra in the state’s north – about 1000km from Perth.
Stephens was told he did not have permission to enter the state when he arrived at Perth airport. He had arrived on a flight that transited through Sydney which was a Covid-19 hotspot at the time.
His application to enter WA was refused and he was directed to stay at a Belmont hotel until he could fly back to the eastern states.
The next day he received a telephone call and a text message from police reminding him of the direction to leave WA.
But police said he ignored that and left the accommodation.
He and another man then spent the next four days driving around the state, visiting the Margaret River area in the South West and the Wheatbelt town of Badgingarra, where he spent time at the local tavern before heading north.
The two men were arrested on July 5 at Nanutarra on the North West Coastal Highway, in WA’s Pilbara region.
Stephens was tested for Covid and returned a negative result.
Stabbing friend in the neck results in jail time
A walk home from the pub soured for one pair after one of them stabbed the other in the neck, resulting in jail time for the attacker.
Circular Head man in 20s killed in single vehicle crash
A young man has tragically died after a serious crash in the state’s North-West. Here’s what we know so far.