John Alexander is from the same party as the Prime Minister and the Immigration Minister:
11 Jan: Daily Mail UK: Australian Open is put on RED ALERT for violence in the stands if Novak Djokovic plays - amid calls for country to be STRIPPED of the tournament over its treatment of the tennis superstar
Immigration minister could use powers to cancel his visa again and deport him
Liberal MP slammed government’s consideration of cancelling Djokovic’s visa
John Alexander said minister’s discretionary power is not for ‘political problems’
He fears the Melbourne grand slam will be ‘diminished’ if Djokovic is deported
Tennis fans calling for Australia to be stripped of the grand slam over the saga
By KYLIE STEVENS and PADRAIG COLLINS
US star Tennys Sandgren and several tennis fans have called for Australia to be stripped of the tournament - as Djokovic was finally released from immigration detention following a court ruling on Monday...
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has refused to rule out using his personal powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa yet again and boot him out of the country - sparking a furious response from one-time tennis star and MP colleague John Alexander, who warned about the future of the Open.
The former Australian and Davis Cup champion unleashed on his own government in a fiery Facebook tirade on Monday night, prompting a divided reaction online.
Mr Alexander leapt to the defence of Djokovic and argued the nine-time Australian Open champion complied with the health entry requirements and didn’t appear to be an unreasonable health risk to Australia.
The Liberal MP and former world No. 8 said retaining the Australian Open as a grand slam was in the nation’s interest before taking a swipe at the minister who may potentially exercise his personal powers to deport as early as Tuesday morning.
He said Mr Hawke’s discretionary powers to deport is meant for criminals and contagious people, ***not ‘political problems’.
‘It would appear Covid-negative Novak has complied with all health entry requirements, the judge asking: “What more could this man have done?,’ Mr Alexander wrote.
‘Based on this, Novak does not seem to present an unreasonable health risk to Australia.
‘So what would be the ‘public interest’ the Minister could potentially use to exercise his personal powers to deport our defending Australian Open tennis champion?
‘Retaining the Australian Open as a grand slam event, I would argue is in our national interest.
‘The minister’s ‘personal powers to cancel visas’ are designed to prevent criminals otherwise walking our streets, or to prevent a contagious person otherwise walking our streets; they’re not designed to assist in dealing with a potential political problem of the day.’...
Mr Alexander doubled down on his comments on Tuesday morning, telling ABC Radio breakfast host Hamish MacDonald it would be a mistake to deport Djokovic.
‘There seems no reason to do so. The judge has been abundantly clear in his finding and his comments around the findings,’ he said.
‘It was a pretty emphatic decision.’
Mr Alexander admitted he hadn’t expressed his concerns to the minister.
‘I’ve got no need, I’m free to do whatever I want really,’ he said.
‘I’ve had a long history in tennis and I understand the origins of grand slam events, which Australia is hugely invested in.’
While he doesn’t believe Australia will lose its grand slam if Djokovic is deported, he warned the event will be ‘diminished.’
‘If the Australian Open is making conditions that people seem to meet and aren’t allowed to come, that would not help our status,’ Mr Alexander said.
‘We have previously been the poor cousin of the four events but with the establishment of Melbourne Park, it’s significantly the best venue of the grand slams.’
‘We’ve got a lot going for us but we need to tread carefully and we need to be showing that people will be allowed in the country if they meet the criteria.’...
Tennis fans are now calling for Australia to be stripped of its long-standing grand slam status unless Djokovic is allowed to play.
‘Japan is way better at this than Australia. Cancel the Australian Open and give it too Japan. Australia is too backward to hold a global sports event,’ one Canadian tweeted.
US celebrity Trainer Justin Allen added: If the Australian government exercise executive powers and decide to deport Novak Djokovic anyway- despite its own court ruling today- the Australian Open should be stripped of its grand slam status and become a non-ranking event.
2020 Australian Open quarter finalist Tennys Sandgren first sparked the calls when Djokovic’s visa was originall cancelled last Thursday.
‘Just to be crystal clear here 2 separate medical boards approved his exemption And politicians are stopping it, Australia doesn’t deserve to host a grand slam,’ he tweeted...
***It was speculated Mr Hawke had just four hours to make such a decision, but it later emerged the four hour window is only relevant if the government had decided to bring in Djokovic for further questioning, which has not happened.
However, there is no time limit on the minister’s power to cancel the visa and can be done whenever he decides there is enough evidence that there is a ground to do so and if it’s in the public interest...
At least Rafael Nadal, who had previously criticised Djokovic, seemed satisfied about his participation. ‘It seems perfect to me, totally correct,’ said Nadal. ‘Whether or not you agree with some of the things regarding Djokovic, justice has spoken and has said that he has the right to play in the Australian Open, and that’s really the fairest way.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10388265/Australia-lose-Australian-Open-Novak-Djokovic-John-Alexander-slams-government.html
11 Jan: Daily Mail: Australia’s humiliated Deputy Prime Minister admits ‘I got it WRONG’ about Novak Djokovic court case in sign tennis star may NOT be deported as minister mulls kicking him out despite legal victory
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said he was ‘wrong’ on Novak Djokovic
This suggests Immigration Minister Alex Hawke may not have him deported
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has now spoken to Serbian PM Ana Brnabić
By STEPHEN JOHNSON and BRITTANY CHAIN IN MELBOURNE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce admitted he was wrong about tennis star Novak Djokovic following his court victory - strongly hinting he may not be deported.
The country’s second-in-command conceded he had made the wrong call in advocating for the 20-time Serbian Grand Slam champion to be kicked out of Australia because of his unvaccinated status.
Mr Joyce’s admission suggests Immigration Minister Alex Hawke may be inclined to accept the outcome of the Federal Circuit Court and not move to cancel Djokovic’s visa and have him deported...
‘I got it wrong. I thought that it would be game, set, match that he hadn’t been double vaxxed,’ Mr Joyce said. ‘I got it wrong, okay. I’m not going to pretend to be a solicitor again...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10388939/Australias-Deputy-Prime-Minister-Barnaby-Joyce-admits-got-wrong-Novak-Djokovic.html