World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic is to be deported from Australia following a court ruling upholding the cancellation of his visa by the Immigration Minister. The Telegraph has more.
Three Federal Court Judges heard the appeal over the Australian Immigration Minister’s decision to revoke Novak Djokovic’s visa on health grounds.
Djokovic’s lawyers argued the Minister had provided no evidence the Serbian’s presence in the country may “foster anti-vaccination sentiment” when scrapping his visa.
In response, the Government highlighted Djokovic’s anti-vaccination stance and his “history of ignoring Covid safety measures”.
The world No. 1 spent Sunday in his lawyers’ offices, under the guard of two immigration officials, while the challenge was heard via video link.
After just over three hours of deliberations, the three judges decided unanimously to uphold the Immigration Minister’s right to cancel Djokovic’s visa.
Djokovic had the option of trying to take the legal fight further but said although he was “extremely disappointed” by the decision he would cooperate with the deportation.
The Immigration Minister Alex Hawke welcomed the unanimous ruling of the judges to uphold his decision “to cancel Mr Djokovic’s visa in the public interest”.
Australia’s strong border protection policies have kept us safe during the pandemic, resulting in one of the lowest death rates, strongest economic recoveries, and highest vaccination rates in the world. Strong border protection policies are also fundamental to safeguarding Australia’s social cohesion which continues to strengthen despite the pandemic.
Djokovic released a statement saying he was “extremely disappointed” with the court ruling.
I would like to make a brief statement to address the outcomes of today’s court hearing.
I will now be taking some time to rest and to recuperate, before making any further comments beyond this.
I am extremely disappointed with the court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open.
I respect the court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country.
I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love.
I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament.
Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, team, supporters, fans and my fellow Serbians for your continued support. You have all been a great source of strength to me.
Before delivering the orders, Chief Justice Allsop explained that the case wasn’t about whether the Immigration Minister made the right decision but whether the decision was so irrational or unreasonable that it was unlawful. Given the scope of discretion given to the Minister under Australian law it would have been extraordinary if the court had overturned his decision. The court has now adjourned and will set out the reasons for its decision later.
The political backdrop in this once liberal and tolerant country was underlined by an opinion poll published by the Age newspaper on Sunday which showed almost three-quarters of Australians believed Djokovic should be sent home without playing in the Australian Open, while just 14% of the 1,607 people polled said he should be allowed to stay. The Government is likely to have an eye on the approaching election.
It is truly shocking that the country would deport the world’s No. 1 tennis player and defending champion over not being vaccinated. Worse, it has done so despite him coming to the country on the understanding that he has an exemption, and despite a court already overturning one attempted visa cancellation. Indeed, in making the latest cancellation the Government no longer claims Djokovic doesn’t have an exemption or a valid visa, but simply uses its prerogative to cancel the visa on what amounts to political grounds – that Djokovic’s presence may “foster anti-vaccination sentiment”. To back this up it pointed to his “history of ignoring Covid safety measures“, the relevance of which to fostering “anti-vaccination sentiment” is unclear. It is a naked political act for political reasons and no one is pretending otherwise.
Prime Minster Scott Morrison said: “It’s now time to get on with the Australian Open and get back to enjoying tennis over the summer.” But following deportation Djokovic faces the prospect of a three-year ban from entering Australia and difficulty entering other countries as well, unless exceptions are made. What appalling treatment of someone who should be an honoured guest and who only came to the country because he was assured he had a valid exemption. Fellow player Vasek Pospisil has said Djokovic only went to Australia on the understanding he could enter lawfully: “Novak would would never have gone to Australia if he had not been given an exemption to enter the country by the Government (which he did receive; hence Judge Kelly’s initial ruling)… There was a political agenda at play here with the elections coming up which couldn’t be more obvious. This is not his fault. He did not force his way into the country and did not ‘make his own rules’; he was ready to stay home.”
The Victorian Council for Civil Liberties has slammed the ruling and the system that allowed it, tweeting that it demonstrated Australia’s “dysfunctional and chaotic visa cancellation regime”.
The Minister has successfully used his ‘God powers’ to cancel Djokovic’s visa on the basis of how his perceived views might impact anti-vaxxers.
The court only looked at whether the Minister exercised his powers lawfully, and not at what the decision should have been.
The Djokovic saga highlights the use of these extraordinary personal powers and Australia’s dysfunctional and chaotic visa cancellation regime. Liberty Victoria joins the call for an inquiry into this unfit-for-purpose regime.
Disgraceful behaviour from a supposedly liberal and tolerant democracy. Australians should be utterly ashamed of themselves and their country and when they finally wake up from their lockdown-induced mass psychosis, perhaps they will be.
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These idiots are fast approaching my debanking/defunding list. We are members, but I am sick of their morbid stupidity, endless simpleton wokisms, racisms, and climate bollocks. Just take care of the god damn buildings and heritage sites and shut the hell up. Or watch your membership dwindle.
Ferd I’m amazed you haven’t left yet. The NT has always frozen their property in aspic, a form of living death.
The problem is, whether or not I remain a member, The National Trust does own large swathes of coastline in the South West and it is this National Trust coastline that keeps us a members, otherwise I think I would leave.
I did not renew my membership after purchasing one of their leaflets describing walks around Hawkshead in the lake district.
In the leaflet they described Vikings as Scandinavian refugees.That was the last straw for me.Even the kids asked what on earth are they on about?
Presumably, that’s because they believe the refugees of today are repeating what the Vikings did in the past.
:->
Yep———-Ironically the Swedes today are now paying for their multicultural dogma as 20 times more sexual crimes are committed by the latter day rapists than by indigenous Swedes. —-But so determined are they that this isn’t true that they make it a crime to talk about it.
Yes I believe the Vikings were put up in castles at taxpayers expense, and I had always thought they were rapists and pillagers. Sorry I now admit I was wrong and that we should pay money for past injustices to all red haired people.
The NT has set its course and there is no rowing back for them now despite your displeasure or any number of members displeasure. There is no way that their proscribed agenda will be allowed to be perceived by the public to have been overturned by a members revolt. Money will be found either from lottery, government or billionaire funding sources to ensure that a popular revolt of this kind fails – God forbid, the people may apply the same democratic principle to all manner of things.
“Patrick Begg, outdoors and natural resources director at the trust”
Who the F. thinks these job titles up? Doubtless another waster on a couple of hundred grand a year. He belongs in the bottom block. A complete Next Tuesday.
Probably a relation of the useless lefty economist David Begg. He was one of the crazies desperate to bounce UK in to the euro. Essentially a useful idiot. Once yr in the woke aristocracy these sinecures become rather easier to obtain.
Thanks
I think there should be a competition for the most ridiculous job titles in the wake of the climate alarm, HP.
You are right Aethelred.
Former member of NT here. The main threat to ‘their’ properties is haemorrhaging support. They keep telling us about the slave-owning history of the builders and owners of the houses – so why don’t they burn them down to demonstrate their contempt more fully?
A Minister for Management of Civilisational Decline would be more useful.
Congratulations Minister. Yours is the only department to achieve its targets.
The Ministry for Silly Talks?
I suggest a Minister for Deaeration of Woke Windbags.
Thanks for then new word.
Maybe the droughts and wildfires will be offset by the floods. It just needs a longer term perspective than most marketing plans.
Make no mistake, this is marketing and not true concern for environments that have suffered all these “hazards” in past years.
Not yet another bloody government department about the climate alarm. We need that new Argentinian prez Javier Milei to do one of his – “Ministry of Climate Adaptation? OUT!” actions. Honestly, the NT are losing it…drought, heavy rain, wildfires? But not today or tomorrow but by 2060! For god’s sake, just get a deckchair and some wellies.
Why the hell are we worrying about 2060. The so-called Tory dupes have caused enough damage to this country these past fourteen years. It’s 2023, can we pay attention to NOW?
Apparently the planet might be a couple of degrees warmer by 2100. Well if anybody is still on this planet in 2100 lucky them, personally I would appreciate those two degrees NOW.
And I won’t be here in 2060 so actually I CGAF about effing global boiling, flooding, freezing or whatever other nonsense they come up with.
Today’s problems need today’s solutions. Tomorrow can look after itself.
https://documents.nationaltrust.org.uk/story/annual-report-2023/page/2/1
I haven’t had a good look yet but I am sure this will be interesting
Today’s problems need today’s solutions. Tomorrow can look after itself.
Tomorrow is something the people of tomorrow will have to deal with tomorrow. People who claim they are solving the problems of tomorrow by creating problems today just want to distract from the latter. They don’t know anything about the real problems of tomorrow and the people of tomorrow obviously haven’t appointed them as their representatives. Conveniently, they just cannot yet object to what’s supposedly being done in their name.
Excellent
It’s a shame that they appear to be jumping onto the bandwagon using “climate change” in lieu of normal extreme weather events and the need to maintain various structures, both old and new. I am actually a member of it. The original reason why I joined was doing the sums for parking at a number of their sites. In effect, paying up front, but less than non-members have to pay given the number of times I go to them.
I’ve often parked without paying. Don’t think their fines are enforcible anyway. I feel eternal shame that I belonged to this organisation for a couple of decades. I should be flayed like Henry the second was in Canterbury cathedral and be forced to sleep on the floor with no blanket.
..and lo the grift continues unabated.
….”“the single biggest threat” to the charity’s mission”, is your organisation’s woke-ism, Mr Begg.
I used to be a member. I looked at moving my subscription to the RSPB, but they’re almost as bad.
Do not support any of them.
I don’t. I want to support the wildlife, our heritage etc., but unfortunately, no organisation can be trusted it seems.
The charity […] said approximately 71% of the places it looks after could be at medium or high risk of climate hazards by 2060.
Attempt to translate this into English: Hazard means risk. Hence, the last bit is
climate risks in 37 years.
Combining this with the bit in front of it yields
above-average risk of climate risks in 37 years.
Then, we have the could, a subjunctive, ie, another risk. We’re now at
there’s a risk of above average risk of climate risks in 37 years
Filling in the last bit now gives the complete sentence:
Modelling has shown that there will be a risk of above average risk of climate risks for about 3/4 of the places the National Trust is currently administrating in 37 years.
What’s that’s supposed to mean – beyond No climate-related damage expected until at least 2060 – is anybody’s guess. Presumably, the point is to repeat risk combined with climate as often as possible to convey the impression of a serious danger. Someone demanding anything based on a statement like this should be unceremoniously shown door and told not to come back until he has at least managed to make up his mind about what he’s actually afraid of.
So far the evidence is the greatest danger to the fabric of the buildiungs and their contents arises from the incompetence of the NT which allows them to burn to the ground.
Interesting that they demand a minister for climate adaptation. In some ways I agreenm with adapting to changes in our environment. Stop wasting huge resources on trying to change the temperature, which is impossible but, as required, adapt to changes – which is what humans have always done. Is the National Trust finally bending to the obvious?
We need to “tackle” Climate change…..so give us some more money.
It’s hilarious how they use “adaptation” and not ‘mitigation’, as these clowns think we can control the weather.
Translation: Systems going well…. Send more money.
Where does this National trust gets its information from? ——-Do they ever question any of it? ——-Very unlikely. Rent seekers question nothing. After all if you need money for something, being alarmist about climate is a great way to get it. If you are a coral island in the pacific what better to get big sums of money from the eco socialist western world than claim you are going to vanish beneath the waves. If you are animal rights activists who think we should all eat vegetables and locusts, what better way to stop people killing animals for food than to claim the animals destroy the climate. If you build turbines or smart meters, what better way to farm all the subsidy than claim your products save the planet. etc etc etc………”Climate Change” —–The gift that keeps on giving. But the gifts are all paid for by us.——– And it is costing trillions.