Bob Katter

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, together with KAP State Member for Hill, Shane Knuth MP, joined more than 800 angry residents and business owners at a freedom rally in Atherton today, promising to take up the fight against mandatory vaccinations in their respective Parliaments.

A fired-up Bob Katter said, “The Government has looked at the size of the dog in the fight and they think they are going well. Well, we’ve seen so many politicians who have made this mistake before. They look at the size of the dog in the fight, but they are not looking at the size of the fight in the dog – that is a very bad mistake.

“I think there were about 800-odd people there today standing out there in the sun with no publicity whatsoever, just word of mouth. There are 45,000 signatories on the petition in just two weeks so that just shows that there are a lot of angry people up here,” he said.

“The famous jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes, said 'the right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.'

“Well, Ms Palaszczuk, your right to dragoon us and push us around stops where my nose starts.

“I have had my Covid vaccination, but I am against coercion. I was prepared to give them two years to cut down this disease.

“Pregnant women should not be forced to choose between their job and making a choice that they believe is in their best interest and the interest of their unborn child. My office alone has received six or seven cases where people have had an adverse reaction to immunisation.

“So, it must be added, Ms Palaszczuk, that you’ve had your chance to eradicate Covid and you’ve failed miserably. You’ve managed to inoculate 90 percent of Australia. Has it had a great effect? No, we have more cases now, than a year ago. So, congratulations. You’re a bunch of dropkicks.

“You have dragooned the nation, removed our freedoms and destroyed our right to carry out our life as we know it.”

Mr Katter said, “This is not the black death; this is not the Spanish flu, this is not polio. It doesn’t remotely come into that category, rather, it is almost akin to the influenza.

“Freedom should be honored and fought for, not spat upon as the Premiers of Queensland and Victoria have done.

“You’ll be hearing from me on this in Canberra next week. I warn the Government to be prepared.”

Gina Crameri, who owns and operates Blue Summit Hideaway in Yungaburra, addressed the media at the press conference today, warning the community’s concerns that the vaccine mandate would turn into further encroachments on freedoms.

“I have lived on the Tablelands all my life and have run my accommodation for the last 25 years.

“I’m proud to be an Australian and a North Queenslander, but what the State Government is doing by introducing a mandate is wrong.  They are not to take our freedom away from us.

“I’m very, very happy that Bob Katter and Shane Knuth are our strong voices to go and make sure that this never, ever, ever happens,” Ms Crameri said.

“By putting this mandate in, we question where does it stop down the track? Will it mean that soon you can’t put a fishing line in the water or that you can’t go on your motorbike?

“This is getting out of hand and totally out of control. It’s not my job to ask people about their medical history.  There are a lot of people out there very scared and unsure if they can even make bookings.

“We don’t want our freedoms taken away and I truly hope that the voice of the people will be heard by the State Government currently in place. That’s our concern and that is why we were there today.”

Member for Hill, Shane Knuth, said that this was a real low point in Queensland’s history and that the rally presented an overwhelming force as both the unvaccinated and vaccinated united to protect their freedoms.

“The State Government has crossed the line here and now has introduced a segregation policy where they have banned the unvaccinated from almost every facet of life,” he said.

“And today’s rally was the fully vaccinated coming out and opposing forced vaccination upon their fellow colleagues, families and friends.

“The State Government have forced businesses to initiate the burden by enforcing their staff to vaccinate and to police the patrons that have been supportive of their business for years.

“This rally was about how we can all work together to see these draconian measures thrown out.”

Photo Credit: Brian Cassey