Victorian Labor government ends Melbourne lockdown despite ongoing COVID-19 transmission
The Labor government in Victoria announced yesterday that a two-week lockdown of the state capital, Melbourne, will end at midnight this evening, even though transmission of the coronavirus, including highly-infectious strains that originated in India, is continuing to result in new cases each day.
The ending of the lockdown was primarily a political decision, not a public health one. The announcement was made some 36-hours before the restrictions were scheduled to expire. This was a transparent attempt by the Labor government to placate the corporate and financial elite, which has been waging a ferocious campaign against any extension of the shutdown.
A man holds up a sign that reads “Vote against the change or suppression (conversion) bill” during a protest on 30 January 2021 against legislation to ban gay conversion therapy in Victoria, Australia. (YouTube/7NEWS Australia)
Protestors in Australia have gathered on the steps of Victoria’s parliament to rally against the government’s bill to ban conversion therapy.
The Victorian government introduced legislation to outlaw conversion therapy in November 2020. The bill, approved by the lower house on 10 December, 2020, will impose fines of close to $10,000 or up to 10 years in jail. It now just needs to be passed in the council before it can become law.