Letter to the Prime Minister Nov 10 2021

10 November 2021

Dear Prime Minister

On 1st January this year, the national anthem of our nation had the lyrics changed.
Our national anthem now begins with these words…

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are one and free;

As I write this to you, these lyrics look ironic now. We are not one and free. We are a nation that is deeply divided.

Before going further with this letter, let me say I admire your forthright willingness to publicly acknowledge your Christian faith. For many years your fellow Christians in our great nation have prayed for godly government, and now we have a Christian in the highest office of the land.

For this we are profoundly grateful. Now, however, our nation is facing a crisis of identity that threatens the very fabric of our nation.
And we are looking to you to act in the best interests of all citizens of Australia.

By government fiat, we now have a system of apartheid based on vaccination status in our nation, and we have marginalised a significant number of our fellow Australians.

I have no issue with vaccination itself against Covid-19. I am fully vaccinated.

However, in August of last year, you promised that nobody would be forced to take a Covid vaccine.
When I consider this promise, and the promises of our governmental bodies at both state and federal level around the pathway to the re-opening of our nation, and compare what is happening here in Australia with the approaches taken by governments overseas, I am becoming convinced that the extension of these onerous restrictions is unconscionable.

By comparison – Norway has a population of 5.5 million people. Towards the end of September of this year, as Norway reached 70% full vaccination, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced the lifting of nearly all Covid 19 restrictions.
This came at a time when Norway had over a thousand new cases per day.
What has been the result of their policy? Infections have been rising and falling, but on November 7th Norway had 0 deaths, with a seven day average of 3 deaths, at a vaccination rate (as at 7th November ) of just over 74%

Similarly, Denmark, with a population of 5.8 million, lifted all coronavirus restrictions in early September, at 75% vaccination rates. On November 7th Denmark had 3 deaths from Covid, which was their average for the previous 7 days, at a vaccination rate (as at 7th November ) of just over 76%

While any loss of life from Covid-19 is tragic, surely, given that we have so few cases by comparison, and so few fatalities from Covid-19 in our nation, the extension of restrictions is totally uncalled for, as is the constant moving of the goal posts with regard to the removal of restrictions imposed upon those who are un-vaccinated.

What makes this situation even more serious, however, is the position of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, and his astonishing attempt to write into law his right to declare pandemic conditions in Victoria, without even a single case diagnosed in his state, extend those states of emergency at will, and with the right for the Premier to ignore any advice given by the Chief Health Officer of his state.

Further, when his proposed legislation is examined, there are other measures being proposed that would allow him to execute targeted orders based on race, religion, medical status, gender or political affiliation.

The proposed imposition of these restrictions is completely at odds with the democratic values of our nation. So much so, that the Victorian Bar Association have already raised their serious concerns about this.

Daniel Andrews is undertaking an exercise in social engineering in Victoria that is totally at odds with the democratic values of our country.

Whilst I understand that there is a tension between the levels of authority exercised by federal and state governments, the question has to be asked – why have you been silent on these issues? What is your position on these matters? Surely the good of the nation and the preservation of our values cannot be usurped like this without consequence?

 

Sincerely,

John Hemans

Senior Pastor,
Open Heaven Church