Clive Palmer to Fund Further Covid Mandate Class Actions By Brian Simpson
Very good news indeed for those of us still fighting for justice over the covid mandates. Ian Wilson LL. B has covered the decision of the Queensland Supreme Court, which has held that the Covid mandates applied against police and paramedics were unlawful, contrary to the Queensland Human Rights Act.It was immediately observed in the media that while the case may be appealed to the High court of Australia, which will give a binding precedent, other jurisdictions are very likely to see parallel cases being submitted and argued. But that requires money to get the cases up and running. Here comes billionaire Clive Palmer to the rescue.
Clive Palmer gave a press conference where he said that he was pleased to financially support cases, including a class action on the Covid mandates and vax orders.He said: "We could look at the class action for the ambulance workers and the police workers who have been subjected to harassment by their colleagues at the police department on the direction of the government to try to drop this case." "But this case was never going to be dropped because I'm behind it. I don't, I don't scare easily." "What's more uncertain is the people who have died, the class action won't do much for those people that have taken the vaccine and have perished."
"They've taken because of an unlawful direction according to the report by the police commissioner and the director of health, so that's very concerning.
"It's very easy for the government or people with a lot of money to squash litigates who haven't got the money … I'm fortunate to have a little bit of surplus money."
Havin a bit of surplus money to fight the good fight is certainly welcome. I am glad to see some movement on the path to justice from the Covid mandate tyrannies. The Covid years must not be forgotten, as this was a dark time when freedom was crushed by state and Big Pharma paternalism. Otherwise, there will be a repeat.
"Clive Palmer says he is "happy" to throw his money behind further legal avenues, including a possible class action, following the Supreme Court decision that mandatory vaccination orders against dozens of police and health workers were unlawful.
In a 115-page decision handed down by Justice Glenn Martin on Tuesday morning police commissioner Katarina Carroll's direction for mandatory Covid-19 vaccination issued in December 2021 was declared unlawful under the Human Rights Act and she was banned from taking any steps to enforce the direction.
On Tuesday afternoon Mr Palmer said he was "happy" to fund further legal avenues to secure compensation for workers he claimed the ruling proved had their human rights violated.
"We could look at the class action for the ambulance workers and the police workers who have been subjected to harassment by their colleagues at the police department on the direction of the government to try to drop this case," he said.
"But this case was never going to be dropped because I'm behind it. I don't, I don't scare easily."
Mr Palmer said there would be a class action against the government for those people.
"What's more uncertain is the people who have died, the class action won't do much for those people that have taken the vaccine and have perished," he said.
"They've taken because of an unlawful direction according to the report by the police commissioner and the director of health, so that's very concerning.
"It's very easy for the government or people with a lot of money to squash litigates who haven't got the money … I'm fortunate to have a little bit of surplus money."
Mr Palmer said the successful case cost up to $3 million and denied he had won on a technicality.
"I think judges always will reach a decision and they'll write the judgment according to what the decision is," he said.
"The judge has found for us I just think we'll enjoy getting the costs from the government, and we'll enjoy reinvesting those costs in the battle to make sure that Australians can be free and can have the right to choose."
Mr Palmer was speaking at a press conference in front of Brisbane's Supreme Court.
No persons involved in the case were present.
"I can't speak for them, I can only speak for us, it's a great day for Queensland and as I said, defeat is the orphan for the victory has 1000 friends," Mr Palmer said before ending the press conference.
Justice Martin also ruled that a similar order by John Wakefield, the director general of Queensland Health's equivalent vaccination policy, who left Queensland Health in July 2022, "is of no effect" and Mr Wakefield be blocked from forcing paramedics to have the injection.
Seventy-four people opposing vaccinations took the state government to the Supreme Court to challenge vaccination directives, they were included in three separate applications before the court.
Two related to police officers or civilian staff, and the third case related to Queensland Ambulance Service workers.
The workers did not have to be vaccinated while their legal fight was underway.
Ms Carroll and Mr Wakefield are also banned from disciplining any of the paramedics and police officers.
The police staff and paramedics were represented in court by law firms Alexander Law and Sibley Lawyers, who have been contacted for comment.
A spokeswoman for the Nurses' Professional Association of Queensland (NPAQ) said the Supreme Court ruling " highlighted how Queensland Health has violated thousands of healthcare workers' rights".
The association highlighted that during a workforce crisis there were members who were stood due to the vaccine mandate who are dying to return to work.
"We have nurses and midwives sitting at home during a workforce crisis and the healthcare system's unlawful decisions are directly to blame," the spokeswoman said.
"NPAQ is currently liaising with our legal team to explore legal avenues for our members in light of today's Supreme Court outcome."
A spokesperson for Queensland Health Queensland Health told The Courier-Mail that it was "considering today's decision".
"The decision relates to matters raised by some Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Police employees and does not impact doctors, nurses and other employees of Queensland Health," the spokesperson said.
Those who were a part of the legal challenge include Townsville cop Kevin Gehringer and former All Black rugby player turned Gold Coast Cop Connan (Con) Barrell.
"I am not satisfied that the (police) Commissioner has demonstrated that she gave proper consideration to the human rights that might have been affected by her decisions," Justice Martin said in relation to the police staff.
"I do not accept that the Commissioner had … considered whether the decision would be compatible with human rights," he noted in his 115-page decision."
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