Pure B***shit: Novak Djokovic granted medical exemption to play at Australian Open

[CaptainQuintero]

31 minutes ago, LordAnubis said:

 

Is anyone still watching the cricket? it almost feels illegal to watch the aussies annihalate the under 9s team that England sent over... 

It's all part of the plan

[Bijan]

15 minutes ago, porkchop said:

This event could have been used as a moment to reevaluate these regulations, get people home, loosen movement -

This is why people are mad. They should have just said these rules are stupid/ineffective now and are cancelled. Instead they made a series of complicated hoops a tiny fraction of celebrities could jump through.

[porkchop]

14 minutes ago, MrBirdman said:

This is a question of fairness in a country with democratic norms, not COVID policy. The idea that ND would trigger a relaxation of these regulations on behalf of the persecuted plight of a rich and powerful man is what offends people. 

2 minutes ago, Bijan said:

This is why people are mad. They should have just said these rules are stupid/ineffective now and are cancelled. Instead they made a series of complicated hoops a tiny fraction of celebrities could jump through.

Ok so push for relaxation of the regulations on behalf of everyone. Encouraging the government to be capricious, denying Djokovic the visa, reinforces the current poor standard (and possibly sets even worse precedent where medical experts, on the mob's whim, can be overruled by politicians). 

[El Presidente]

Just now, porkchop said:

medical experts

Who are they?

Who appointed them?

Do they have (or have they ever had) any relationship with Tennis Australia or any current or past TA delegate. 

Where they paid? if so, who paid them?

What was their criteria? Where is a copy of their TA brief?

On what basis was he cleared to play? Where there any qualifications/assumptions? 

[bassistheplace]

I didn't intend to conflate tennis and riots. Just noting universal disdain for hypocrisy in C-19 policies

[helix]

Anti- Vaxer got the boot. 

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, LordAnubis said:

From what i read he flew in on an Emirates flight. Checking in Dubai is a matter of "do you have a visa"? that's all... but if you dont have that proof of a granted visa you don't get on the plane... but yeah if his assistant applied for the wrong visa or whatever then that's their fault and certainly no "principles" or "justice to the people" by scomo and ABF.

 

Is anyone still watching the cricket? it almost feels illegal to watch the aussies annihalate the under 9s team that England sent over... 

every ball. this is the ashes. 

[porkchop]

7 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Who are they?

Who appointed them?

Do they have (or have they ever had) any relationship with Tennis Australia or any current or past TA delegate. 

Where they paid? if so, who paid them?

What was their criteria? Where is a copy of their TA brief?

On what basis was he cleared to play? Where there any qualifications/assumptions? 

"Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts,'' the statement said.

"One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation guidelines.''

That is from the organizers statement. 

If you want to imply impropriety, go ahead. That same line of thinking delegitimizes almost every aspect of the last two years.

We are at a breaking point were the BS no longer holds and instead of pushing forward, some seem to be falling back. The government was given a gift with the public reaction to this. You said yourself it is not about health or safety. Then what is it about?

[Ken Gargett]

28 minutes ago, porkchop said:

Ok so push for relaxation of the regulations on behalf of everyone. Encouraging the government to be capricious, denying Djokovic the visa, reinforces the current poor standard (and possibly sets even worse precedent where medical experts, on the mob's whim, can be overruled by politicians). 

sorry but this is nonsense. it is not encouraging the government to be capricious. it is expecting the government to treat all fairly. the exact opposite. and it seems that in this instance the federal govt has taken that stance. the government has a set of rules in place and bases decisions not on a mob's whim as you suggest. where is any evidence of a mob whim ruling here? you continue to make stuff up. 

by the way, the pub test is simply an aussie expression which basically means what your average person would think of what is happening. if there is something dodgy about the goings-on, then the saying is that it doesn't pass the pub test. nothing to do with elbowing medical evidence aside. 

one might say, as an example, that prince andrew's claims never to have met whatever her name is, does not pass the pub test. 

[Bijan]

8 minutes ago, porkchop said:

That is from the organizers statement. 

And this is from the state government:

"Victoria state Deputy Premier James Merlino last month insisted the medical exemptions would not be “a loophole for privileged tennis players” and would only be possible in “exceptional circumstances if you have an acute medical condition.”"

Like to know what acute medical condition this guy has to be a top tennis player...

[El Presidente]

Just now, porkchop said:

 

That is from the organizers statement. 

 

I have read the statement. The whole country has read the statement. 

The questions (and they are very basic) remain unanswered. 

There has been no transparency in this process . Well, not outside of fact that TA wanted the Number 1 player in the world to be cleared to play the Australian Open for financial gain. 

In relation to the other half dozen cleared, they should be reassessed by ABF and unless they meet the Federal Governments requirements (not Tennis Australia's star chamber), they should be on the same plane out as ND. 

 

 

[Ken Gargett]

19 minutes ago, porkchop said:

"Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts,'' the statement said.

"One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation guidelines.''

That is from the organizers statement. 

If you want to imply impropriety, go ahead. That same line of thinking delegitimizes almost every aspect of the last two years.

We are at a breaking point were the BS no longer holds and instead of pushing forward, some seem to be falling back. The government was given a gift with the public reaction to this. You said yourself it is not about health or safety. Then what is it about?

that panel is from a dept of the victorian govt (and merely naming something as independent doesn't always make it so). neither tennis australia nor the victorian government trump the federal government when it comes to entry into australia. clearly, at this stage, ND has not fulfilled the federal government requirements. the victorian government can throw all the tantrums they like. and tennis australia can make all the claims they want. 

if he has fulfilled the requirements then show us. what does he have to lose? if he shows that evidence, then i am all for him being allowed in and allowed to play. he and his team refuse to do so. not hard to imagine why. 

 

10 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

There has been no transparency in this process . Well, not outside of fact that TA wanted the Number 1 player in the world to be cleared to play the Australian Open for financial gain. 

this. it is not a matter of national security. 

this is what we mean when we say that it fails the pub test. 

[porkchop]

11 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

sorry but this is nonsense. it is not encouraging the government to be capricious. it is expecting the government to treat all fairly. the exact opposite. and it seems that in this instance the federal govt has taken that stance. the government has a set of rules in place and bases decisions not on a mob's whim as you suggest. where is any evidence of a mob whim ruling here? you continue to make stuff up. 

by the way, the pub test is simply an aussie expression which basically means what your average person would think of what is happening. if there is something dodgy about the goings-on, then the saying is that it doesn't pass the pub test. nothing to do with elbowing medical evidence aside. 

He was given an exemption which, after the public outcry, was rescinded. Any other explanation does not pass the pub test.

7 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

I have read the statement. The whole country has read the statement. 

The questions (and they are very basic) remain unanswered. 

There has been no transparency in this process . Well, not outside of fact that TA wanted the Number 1 player in the world to be cleared to play the Australian Open for financial gain. 

In relation to the other half dozen cleared, they should be reassessed by ABF and unless they meet the Federal Governments requirements (not Tennis Australia's star chamber), they should be on the same plane out as ND. 

That accomplishes nothing. You already said it is not about health or safety. Is it now simply the theater of following rules? It is akin to a chain gang seeing a free man and, rather than wanting freedom for themselves, demand the free man be chained. 

[El Presidente]

truly laughable. 

 

It is 100% about the attempted corruption of the system for the sole benefit of the privileged few. 

They got caught. 

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, porkchop said:

He was given an exemption which, after the public outcry, was rescinded. Any other explanation does not pass the pub test.

he was given an exemption by people who were not in position to make the final decision. not trying to be rude but you make a lot of statements about matters you obviously either don't understand or don't have the full information.

if the health department of idaho granted me a visa to enter the USA and i turned up with incorrect documentation, let alone not having the correct visa, would you honestly expect officials to welcome me aboard? it is what you are asking here. 

[Bijan]

There is also the related matter that the process was made entirely anonymous so no one would know who got an exemption or even who asked for one.

And he decides to tweet and brag about his exemption but not disclose the basis which seems it could only have been: 1) he has a serious medical condition, 2) he got COVID or 3) he had a bad reaction to a first COVID shot.

If he has a heart condition or cancer my best wishes to him but otherwise why not disclose to defuse the situation?

[Webbo]

As mentioned earlier. He’s a bellend …, 

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/novak-djokovic-positive-emotions-can-purify-polluted-water_sto7744129/story-amp.shtml

[porkchop]

7 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

truly laughable. 

 

It is 100% about the attempted corruption of the system for the sole benefit of the privileged few. 

They got caught. 

The system is dumb. Instead of using this to demand a better system the public fell all over themselves to celebrate its reinforcement.

5 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

he was given an exemption by people who were not in position to make the final decision. not trying to be rude but you make a lot of statements about matters you obviously either don't understand or don't have the full information.

if the health department of idaho granted me a visa to enter the USA and i turned up with incorrect documentation, let alone not having the correct visa, would you honestly expect officials to welcome me aboard? it is what you are asking here. 

If you truly believe that is what occurred, ok.

[El Presidente]

Just now, porkchop said:

The system is dumb. Instead of using this to demand a better system the public fell all over themselves to celebrate its reinforcement. 

Your opinion and we disagree to disagree 

In this case the public has every right to be outraged by a manipulator and his enablers. 

 

[Chucko8]

 

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, porkchop said:

If you truly believe that is what occurred, ok.

my apologies. i forgot that you have inside information not privy to anyone else. do you actually have anything that approximates a legitimate response?

as for the system is dumb, well possibly not the most compelling of arguments but apparently our system (like every other attempt to deal with this, far from perfect) doesn't appeal to you. imagine the seconds of sleep australians will lose over that. 

 

[JohnS]

Meanwhile...there are three 20-time Men's Grand Slam tennis championships and only one of them will play at the Australian Open this year. I predict that his progress will come into a sharper focus by the time the tournament commences.

[porkchop]

20 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

my apologies. i forgot that you have inside information not privy to anyone else. do you actually have anything that approximates a legitimate response?

as for the system is dumb, well possibly not the most compelling of arguments but apparently our system (like every other attempt to deal with this, far from perfect) doesn't appeal to you. imagine the seconds of sleep australians will lose over that. 

Djokovic is very publicly against vaccine mandates and Australia is very publicly for vaccine mandates. Djokovic made the Aus government look silly and preened so the Aus government was forced to come over the top to save face. 

 

18 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Meanwhile...there are three 20-time Men's Grand Slam tennis championships and only one of them will play at the Australian Open this year. I predict that his progress will come into a sharper focus by the time the tournament commences.

Nadal I am assuming. I hope he doesn't get the record...should be Federer's forever. 

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, porkchop said:

Djokovic is very publicly against vaccine mandates and Australia is very publicly for vaccine mandates. Djokovic made the Aus government look silly and preened so the Aus government was forced to come over the top to save face. 

what an utter crock of crap.

but you sum it up. our government believes in vaccinations. you and ND may not. you want to come to australia, you follow our rules. doesn't matter how important you and he think you are. 

the person who surely looks silly is ND. comes all this way trumpeting about how he is getting in under exemptions and now is headed home tail between his legs. and you think that makes the australian government look silly. in other words, your mind was made up long ago and reality counts for nothing. 

by the way, "Tennis Australia was told in writing more than once that a recent Covid infection is not an acceptable reason not to be fully vaccinated if you want quarantine-free entry into Australia.

ATAGI did not endorse the process that the Victorian Government or Tennis Australia put in place. 

A travel exemption from the Australian Border Force was not requested."

in addition, 

"People must be fully vaccinated as defined by Atagi to gain quarantine-free entry into Australia. That means people who do not meet the definition will not be approved for quarantine-free entry. In relation to the specific questions raised by Tennis Australia, this is from the Minister for Health, I can confirm that people who have contracted COVID-19 in the past six months and seek to enter Australia and have not received two doses of a TGA approved or recognised vaccine are not considered fully vaccinated.

That was the clear advice given by the minister for health to Tennis Australia and that letter is dated at the end of November of last year."

so he tried his 'i'm special' exemption and it has fallen in a heap. yeah, he doesn't look silly at all. 

[helix]

26 minutes ago, Webbo said:

As mentioned earlier. He’s a bellend …, 

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/novak-djokovic-positive-emotions-can-purify-polluted-water_sto7744129/story-amp.shtml

Ok that's it. Guy's a wack job.