More Stuff Ups

Our boring locked down lives became slightly more interesting with the news that the men’s world number one tennis player. Novak Djokovic was detained by the Australian Border Force on arrival in Melbourne for the impending Australian Open. 

My understanding of the circumstances is Djokovic had a valid visa issued by the Australian Federal Government.  The Federal government has sole responsibility for entry into Australia.  However having a valid visa isn’t sufficient to legally enter Australia.  During the current pandemic applicants must also produce a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure along with a vaccine certificate proving they have been double vaccinated.

The Federal Government claims in 2020 they twice notified Tennis Australia in writing of these requirements.  The Victorian State Government claims Tennis Australia did not pass this information on to them.

Tennis Australia established an expert medical panel which subsequently decided to give Novak Djokovic a vaccine exemption certificate.  Presumably on the basis he had previously contracted and recovered from COVID.   The circumstances are somewhat murky but it appears the Victorian State Government may have also been involved in a medical review and issue dor agreement to a medical exemption.

On arrival in Australia the Border Force detained Djokovic and cancelled his visa on the basis he didn’t meet the Federal requirements.   Djokovic could have departed Australia but decided to fight the denial of entry.  He was then detained in a Melbourne hotel along with other people who have been deemed to have entered Australia illegally. 

All this has resulted in a storm of criticism or approval, depending upon how people view the situation.  The Federal Government is pontificating that there is only one rule for all and they are in control.  I’m quite cynical about the claim and the government regularly gives preferential treatment.   The Victorian Government appears to have adopted the “Shultz position”  (Hogan’s Heroes …. I know nothing!).  Tennis Australia is currently silent.   The lawyers will be back in court on Monday.

I think the Federal Government may be in trouble arguing their case in court.  How was Djokovic able to be issued a visa and why wasn’t he stopped at the point of departure? 

Meanwhile the Federal Government is receiving more adverse publicity over Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT).  The RAT hasn’t been an approved COVID test.  Only the PCR.  With the majority of the States opening up COVID has rapidly spread overwhelming the PCR testing system.  RAT’s are now approved, but are not free.  The massive demand for RAT kits has seen the price of the kits skyrocket (alleged price gouging).  The Federal Government initially refused to provide them free, but have now agreed for pensioners and the vulnerable to receive free RAT kits.

That has create yet another problem.  A massive shortage of RAT kits!  More poor planning on the part of the government.   Here in Western Australia RAT kits won’t be available until next month.

Jan and I had previously decided to get ahead of the pack and purchased RAT kits directly from China.  They arrived today.

 

To a slightly more mundane subject

You might recall I made some small tables from recycled Jarrah timber.  In order to maximise the available timber the tops of the tables were made from very thin lengths of Jarrah.  This precluded me from biscuit or tongue & groove joining them.  All I could do was create a ‘glue-wipe’ join between pieces.  Well they’ve started parting and gaps have appeared where the some of the pieces join.

Fortuitously my brother had been given some rough sawn Karri roof tile battens by his neighbour when he replaced the tiles on the roof of his house with colourbond steel.

I’ve machined the timber and salvaged enough to make two replacement table tops.  The first has been completed.

Karri is lighter in colour than Jarrah and in an effort to resolve this I used a combined Jarrah stain and varnish.