Over fifteen months ago, the issue of CV19 began to break out around the world. Originating in China, governments around the world collectively responded by enforcing controls on their citizens. In Australia in March of 2020, Prime Minster Scott Morrison confidently told the nation that two weeks were required to “flatten the curve” and that the majority of people who did contract cv19 would fully recover.

I was interviewed on The David Knight Show. David is a staunch American patriot & libertarian

Fast forward to September 2021 and Australia is in the grip of the most draconian measures ever imposed on its citizens. It would not be far fetched to compare the brutal days of the early penal colonies established in 1788 to today’s situation. Whilst the lash, ball and chain and brutal hard labor practices aren’t prevalent, the psychological torment of endless lockdowns, the threat of losing employment due to vaccine mandates and the loss of family contact and religious worship are just as repugnant. Then there is the inability to freely travel overseas or domestically. Many families are separated and are missing key life moments such as births, marriages and deaths.

One thing that has clearly been illustrated is the abhorrent, inhumane leadership shown at a State and Federal government level. Australia’s politicians have become tyrants drunk on powers with little regard or empathy of the very people that elected them into office in the first place. They haven’t lost a single cent in income, yet small business owners and employees that are deemed “non essential” have been brought to their knees via the dystopian vision our leaders tell us is to keep us “safe”. School kids have had the best years of their lives stolen and those in their final years of HSC are struggling. The future for them looks bleak. Sadly many cannot take the lockdowns and isolation and are ending their lives and in circumstances that ethically I’m unable to report, that would shock you.

I’m a staunch conservative, I’m also a Vice President of a branch of the New South Wales Liberal Party I’ve spent time handing out how to vote cards and scrutineered. I believed in my party the basic tenets of which are freedom of the individual and less government interference.

In 2021 those words are laughable when you look at New South Wales Premier Glady Berejiklian and how she is treating the people. From being a warm fuzzy, freedom loving moderate, Berejiklian has turned into an unpalatable tyrant with brazen disregard to the traditional Australian values of a “fair go”Berejiklian sadistically gloats over the limitations her government will place over those who chose not to take the vaccine and will be denied “privileges” such as visiting bars, clubs and restaurants. One wonders about her moral compass when she brazenly remarked she did not want to be in the same room as someone who had not been vaccinated. She must have skipped religious instruction and the ethos of “Love they Neighbour As Thy Self”.

Try contacting your local state and federal member, its impossible. They are facing zero public scrutiny, their daily press conferences are something out of a B grade cold war sci-fi movie with a complicit media asking soft questions. Our politicians love fear and they love the power and they don’t give a stuff about everyday Australia.

Then there is the “expert class” or the “clever fellows” that former Australian prime minister Sir Robert Menzies was deeply skeptical of. Australia is full of them. Kerry Chant (who should be haunting houses on Halloween) to Brett Sutton with his daily nonsensical diatribes about “safety”. University experts have produced computer models filled with doomsday predictions. Fortunately these predictions have turned out to be duds.

Then there is the senior public servant class in Australia, such as the head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration John Skerritt or Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. All full of rhetoric about keeping people safe, via mask wearing, lockdowns and jabs. But the dandy of all is one Jane Halton.

What’s a banker doing at a medical drill?? Jane Halton (middle) at Event 201 in 2019 Source: Centre for Health Security

For a public servant, Madame Halton isnt doing too badly for herself. She’s become the “Jack Horner” of the 21st century with “plums” on every thumb from a multitude of “pies” Ms Halton is on the board of Crown Casino, the board of the ANZ Bank, a key figure in the World Health Organisation and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Jane Halton is also a senior advisor to the Department of the Prime Minister with regards to cv19. Halton was also a key participant at the Event 201 conference of 2019, which explored a “pretend pandemic”. Interestingly, Halton’s name tag on her desk had her as an ANZ banker. It begs the question what would a banker be doing at a conference about a medical issue/scenario ?

It isnt far fetched to assume Ms Halton is front and centre behind the scenes with regards to the Australian approach to cv19. Measures that are keeping in line with other draconian countries such as the UK, USA, Asia and Europe. One wonders what Ms Halton is whispering into the ears of her brother-in-law Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. Jane Halton has to be questioned throughly and deeply about her involvement at a federal government committee level as well as a media level and from a media that is not complicit, but investigative and fearless. There has to be accountability and questioning about her “methods”.

So, where does that leave me in the scheme of things? By the grace of God I have a USA green card that I won in the Diversity Visa lottery. After the past 15 months I could no longer tolerate the demands the Australian government or the NSW State government was asking of me. Going to Aldi or Coles as a “treat” wasn’t living. I hated the QR scans of which I signed in as Colonel Klink or Grace Slick! I was sick of being denied services at Australia Post despite having the right to be served with a legitimate medical reason. My religious worship was removed from me and I sure as hell I am not going to watch a service on my computer. My deep love of football was stolen from me. It was made all the more difficult when you’d see players dispatch the “social distancing” mantra and exchange sweat, blood and other body fluids during vigorous tackles in the line of play. So cv19 took a break during these games? Logic thrown out the window. I couldn’t travel to Victoria or anywhere else in Australia. My life was at a standstill and I was missing the USA so badly. I wondered if I’d ever get back.

I applied for my travel exemption and surprisingly after day one I was granted it and decided to leave ASAP. Like Steve McQueen in the final scene of Papillon where he leaps from a cliff and hopes the current will take him to freedom, I have taken a leap of faith by coming to the USA. It’s not perfect by any means, but there is the 2nd amendment, there are no QR codes or restrictions of movement (yet). I am scared, I am worried I will fail, but I had to do it as I couldn’t bear the remorse of not being able to be in the USA ever again (due to the mandates). I love the USA dearly, I love Australia as well to, but I no longer recognise what Australia has become.

My duty as an Australian over here in the US is to tell people what is going on downunder and that it’s coming here if you are not vigilant. I think of the lads at ANZAC cove, the chocos at Kokoda, RAAF pilot Ron Middleton who made sure his mates were OK before he died in a damaged plane after a bombing raid in Europe. I think of Sister Vivian Bullwinkel  machine gunned by the tyrannical Japanese on Bangka Island during WWII and survived to tell her story. The tough resolve of the Aussies at Kapyong in Korea or the never say die blokes at Long Tan to the Australia VC recipients of Afghanistan their efforts are tapping me on the shoulder saying “Step Up Jodes” and I pledge I will to my dying breath when it comes to freedom. I may not ever return to Australia, something that hurts me deeply, but I know freedom is something worth keeping and I had the opportunity to be in a country that cherished freedom despite is flaws and tramatiuc conflicts and issues over the years. I am deeply thankful, by the grace of God that I am here in the United States of America.

As the plane left Sydney I felt enormous relief, maskless I went through Doha rubbed shoulders with Indian passengers, spoke to other Aussies leaving. They to had had a gutful. The flight attendant handed out a beer on the plane which happened to be Budweiser. I can tell you it was the sweetest taste.

Boy did those Buds taste good after escaping Prison Australia Photo: Jodie Newell

When I eventually got to Los Angeles and my passport was stamped as a green card holder I was elated that I had made it to the United States of America. As I clutched my USS Arizona flag that has been flown over the wreck at Pearl Harbor, I had made it back to the country I dearly, dearly love.