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
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9 Jan: The Age, Melbourne: Leaked letters: Federal authorities advised vax exemptions were Victoria’s responsibility
by Paul Sakkal
A series of leaked letters to and from Tennis Australia in the lead up to Novak Djokovic being denied entry to Australia show doubt and confusion over whether it was a state or federal government responsibility to give exemptions from Australia’s double-vaccination immigration regime.
The letters show an adviser to Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, saying the exemption question was a matter for Victoria, and Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton implying the same thing...
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/leaked-letters-federal-authorities-advised-vax-exemptions-were-victoria-s-responsibility-20220109-p59mw9.html
from The Age’s sister newspaper - Sydney Morning Herald:
9 Jan: The World News: Leaked letters: Federal authorities advised vax exemptions were Victoria’s responsibility
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Federal government officials told Tennis Australia the Victorian government was responsible for assessing vaccine exemptions, according to leaked correspondence that shows Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton declared people with a prior infection could enter Victoria quarantine-free.
The new letters also show federal officials declined to check exemption applications in advance of travellers boarding planes, which could have avoided the need for Novak Djokovic’s paperwork to be examined for the first time only when he arrived at Melbourne Airport...
The leaked documents show Tennis Australia was in weekly discussions with the federal Home Affairs Department.
On November 10, an adviser to Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, Dr Allison Cairns, wrote to Tennis Australia, which had been asking whether players who weren’t fully vaccinated would be permitted entry.
“Medical exemptions from vaccination will be at the discretion of the state or territory so it would probably be good to touch base with the state of arrival earlier rather than later to determine if any will be an issue,” Dr Cairns wrote...
The federal advice to Tennis Australia aligns with statements made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the day Djokovic arrived.
Asked whether the world No. 1 had received an exemption, Morrison said on January 5: “Well, that is a matter for the Victorian government. They have provided him with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that decision … That’s how it works. States provide exemptions for people to enter on those bases.”...
Tennis Australia also asked federal authorities to review the exemptions of players three days before they boarded planes to avoid a Djokovic-style airport interrogation.
“In particular, it is the ability to review vaccination certificates/exemptions ahead of the 72 hour window that is most pressing for us, as we would like to give players some comfort over a process to be followed to ensure any issues can be dealt with well in advance of their journey to Australia,” Tennis Australia wrote to federal departments for Health and Home Affairs.
In response, senior federal Health Department official Andrew Godkin said on November 17: “[Australian Travel Declaration] and vaccination information is required for jurisdictions to manage travellers on arrival. Health and Home Affairs are unable to provide or review certificates. Certificates are reviewed at check in.”...
https://theworldnews.net/au-news/leaked-letters-federal-authorities-advised-vax-exemptions-were-victoria-s-responsibility