Former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet says harsh vaccine mandates were wrong in valedictory speech

The former NSW premier who oversaw the state’s exit from the Covid pandemic said it was a “mistake” for the state to implement strict vaccine mandates, stating that “people’s personal choices shouldn’t have cost them their jobs”.

Dominic Perrottet, who delivered a speech following his resignation on Tuesday, succeeded Gladys Berejiklian as the premier in October 2021, just as the state was easing restrictions following the Omicron lockdowns.

“Without dwelling on every decision, I believe it’s important to point out one mistake which was made by governments here and around the world, the strict enforcement of vaccine mandates,” he said.

While decisions were made with the “right intentions,” he said the impact on transmissions was “limited at best”.

“As is mostly now accepted, the law should have left more room and respect for freedom,” he said.

“Vaccines saved lives but ultimately mandates were wrong.

“People’s personal choices shouldn’t have cost them their jobs. When I became Premier, we removed them, or the ones we actually could, but this should have happened faster.”

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/best-intentions-former-nsw-premier-dominic-perrottet-says-harsh-vaccine-mandates-were-wrong-in-valedictory-speech/news-story/85bdc31a091be3e32a3906ccc18592b8

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Australia Post dumps commitment to carbon neutral mail deliveries despite its zero emissions target

Australia Post has announced it will dump its aim of carbon neutral deliveries despite an existing commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The national postal service will scrap the certified Carbon Neutral Deliveries program on August 12.

Customers were sent a letter by Australia Post to inform them about the upcoming change, reported 2GB.

'While we're proud of what we've achieved by investing in the program, the sustainability landscape has changed,' the letter read.

Instead, Australia Post will continue to focus on its enterprise emissions reduction target, which includes achieving net zero.

Australia Post introduced Carbon Neutral Deliveries in 2019 as an environmentally sustainable way of delivering parcels.

The program works by purchasing carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon credits are earned by carrying out activities that store, reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions.

Each carbon credit represents one metric tonne of greenhouse gas emissions removed from the atmosphere.

An Australia Post spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the postal service remains committed to achieving its sustainability targets.

'Australia Post will focus on its own decarbonisation initiatives as a more effective strategy to reduce carbon emissions rather than purchasing carbon offsets through the Carbon Neutral Deliveries Program,' the spokesman said.

'We are proud of our approach to sustainability, laid out in our 2025 Sustainability Roadmap, and were the first Government Business Enterprise to target Net Zero emissions by 2050.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13712515/Australia-post-dumps-commitment-carbon-neutral-mail-deliveries-despite-zero-emissions-target.html

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University of Melbourne student claims majority of tutorials were spoken in Mandarin

A first-year university student plans on changing degrees after claiming most of his tutorials were spoken in Mandarin.

Harry is studying economics at the University of Melbourne and said he was either the only Caucasian student, or one of few, in his subjects.

While his peers would often speak in Mandarin to each other, they would also ask questions to the tutor in the same language.

Harry claimed his tutor would then respond in Mandarin and not explain what was being discussed in English.

'I was sort of left in the dark. It kind of dejected me from the conversation and interacting with the class as a whole,' he told ABC Radio Melbourne Drive. 'I was just sitting there for the attendance, essentially.'

Harry said that as tutorials are mandatory, he had to show up, but often, during group work, his peers would speak entirely in Mandarin.

He said that about one time every class a question would be asked in Mandarin, to which the teacher would respond in the same language.

'I should've asked what was being discussed so that is definitely my fault but I still think it's not acceptable for them to be speaking a language I can't understand at all in an English speaking country,' Harry said.

'The classes were either silent or predominantly spoken in Mandarin for the most part.'

Harry added there was one student who would often translate for him but said that shouldn't have to be his responsibility.

He added he believed the majority of students in the course were international students.

Harry is now hoping to defer courses to science or engineering.

The University of Melbourne it was looking into Harry's claims and have encouraged him to make a formal complaint.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13712775/melbourne-university-mandarin-subject.html

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Queensland LNP Vows ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ for Young Offenders

Juveniles convicted of serious crimes will be treated as harshly as adult offenders in Queensland, under a major Liberal-National Party (LNP) pre-election promise.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli addressed the party faithful at the annual LNP state convention on Sunday and spruiked his plans for government, 111 days out from the election on Oct. 26.

He focused on tougher punishment for youths who commit crimes.

Under his plan, youths found guilty of crimes such as murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and dangerous operation, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle would be sentenced as adults.

“If you make the choice to commit adult crimes, you should know we have made the choice to ensure there are consequences for that behaviour,” Mr. Crisafulli told the convention in Brisbane.

“We will restore consequences for actions for young criminals—adult crime, adult time.”

The Labor government’s management of youth justice and crime has been in the spotlight following a serious of violent incidents involving young people, fanning concerns that youth crime is rising across the state.

However, the LNP leader’s plan could prove controversial amongst legal and children’s rights groups.

Mr. Crisafulli said the state government was “cuddling young criminals” and if he became premier the LNP would fund individual 12-month post-release plans to keep young offenders on the straight and narrow.

“We can’t just release a young offender into society,” he said.

“We'll partner with the community sector to work with young people in detention, in partnership with their youth justice caseworker, to develop a relationship which can be maintained when they are released.

“That will be an intensive post release supervision to keep them on the straight and narrow.”

According to an Australia Bureau of Statistics crime report published in February, there were almost 11,000 offenders aged 10 to 17 in the state in 2022/23, up 6 percent from the year before.

The most common offences were acts intended to cause injury (23 percent of the total) and theft (17 percent).

Premier Steven Miles called the proposal as “just another slick slogan” from Mr. Crisafulli.

“The fact is that we want to intervene early and prevent crimes before they occur, and that’s why we have a comprehensive community safety program,” Mr. Miles told reporters.

In health, the LNP leader promised to provide live hospital data within 100 days, if the opposition wins government, after federal Coalition Leader Peter Dutton criticised Labor’s record on services at the convention on Saturday.

“Four years ago, the term ambulance ramping didn’t really register with the Queensland public, and yet today, ambulance ramping is at a record 45 percent,” Mr. Dutton said.

The Liberal leader endorsed Mr. Crisafulli as a thoughtful and practical leader who had a demonstrated plan to “end Queenslanders’ despair” and revitalise the state.

“The LNP’s policies are not only practical, they offer hope for Queenslanders that better times are ahead,” Mr. Dutton said.

“We can achieve government because they respect a leader who has not only demonstrated a plan to end their despair, but a leader who has a vision to revitalise Queensland.”

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/queensland-lnp-vows-adult-crime-adult-time-for-young-offenders-5681575

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All my main blogs below:

http://jonjayray.com/covidwatch.html (COVID WATCH)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://snorphty.blogspot.com (TONGUE-TIED)

https://immigwatch.blogspot.com (IMMIGRATION WATCH)

http://jonjayray.com/short/short.html (Subject index to my blog posts)

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