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To: Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Morrison: Stop MPs spreading dangerous misinformation

It's finally happened! Craig Kelly MP has been formally called out by the Prime Minister for spreading dangerous misinformation about coronavirus.

After a 30-minute scolding on 3/2/21, Kelly conceded: "I had a meeting with the prime minister... I agreed to support the government's vaccine rollout which has been endorsed by medical experts. I believe that the spread of misinformation can damage the success of our public health response during the pandemic".

On top of that, Kelly could soon be out of a job — with reports that Morrison is now unlikely to save Kelly from a preselection threat ahead of the next federal election!

Here's how Emilie's feeling: "This is such great news! Craig Kelly finally being pulled into line sends a message to healthcare workers like me that we matter. A big thank you to everyone who supported my petition. I was blown away by the support. And it worked!"

Immediately call out, condemn, and put a stop to dangerous misinformation being spread by people in your government. Particularly Craig Kelly MP who is undermining the advice of health experts by peddling unproven treatments for coronavirus and comparing mask-wearing to child abuse.

As our Prime Minister, you must end your silence on this issue and make it clear that sharing dangerous misinformation is an unacceptable threat to public safety and will not be tolerated.

Why is this important?

I was a nurse on a Covid screening ward in Melbourne last year. I saw my colleagues get Covid. And people died on our ward without having all of their family present.

It's a real slap in the face that Scott Morrison isn't holding MPs to account when they spread disinformation. It lets down healthcare workers, and people who've lost family and friends to Covid.

Liberal MP Craig Kelly is peddling dangerous misinformation that threatens public safety. He’s been promoting unproven “treatments” for coronavirus, encouraging his Facebook followers to use drugs medical experts say do not work, and compared wearing masks to child abuse.

The Australian Medical Association has called it “torching the foundations of community health” and has urged the government to crack down hard on MPs spreading misinformation.

But so far, Morrison has refused to criticise and correct Kelly's comments — even though three in four people in Australia want him to do so. On top of that, Deputy PM Michael McCormack has defended Kelly by saying “facts are sometimes contentious”.

Morrison might be reluctant to pull his MPs into line, but as our Prime Minister he needs to enforce ZERO TOLERANCE for MPs eroding public trust in the advice of health experts. Especially in the midst of a deadly global pandemic.

Luckily, Morrison can be pressured on this issue. He’s very protective of his reputation when it comes to his handling of coronavirus and a huge show of public outrage could force him to come out hard. So can you sign this petition and then share it with your friends and family?

Everyday people in Australia should feel proud of how we’ve handled the global pandemic. Compared to most other countries, we’ve done well to contain the crisis and keep case numbers down. But we’ve only been able to achieve this because — as a community — we’ve agreed to listen to the health experts, follow their advice, and do the right thing by one another.

But all that’s under threat unless Morrison immediately puts a stop to the reckless spread of misinformation by people in his government.

References:
• Craig Kelly's Covid claims not backed by evidence, chief medical officer says, The Guardian, 13 Jan 2021
• Senior Government figures refuse to condemn Craig Kelly for spreading misleading coronavirus information, ABC, 13 Jan 2021
• We regret to report that Craig Kelly MP is at it again, Crikey, 13 Jan 2021
• Three-quarters of Australians say Scott Morrison should rebuke Craig Kelly for Covid misinformation, The Guardian, 18 Jan 2021
• Australia's acting PM Michael McCormack says 'facts sometimes are contentious', The Guardian, 12 Jan 2021

Updates

2021-02-05 07:25:42 +1100

Petition is successful with 35,080 signatures

2021-01-21 20:36:52 +1100

20,000 signatures reached

2021-01-20 18:04:06 +1100

10,000 signatures reached

2021-01-20 16:39:10 +1100

5,000 signatures reached

2021-01-16 15:15:01 +1100

1,000 signatures reached

2021-01-16 12:38:29 +1100

500 signatures reached

2021-01-16 11:46:16 +1100

100 signatures reached

2021-01-16 11:42:37 +1100

50 signatures reached

2021-01-16 11:41:03 +1100

25 signatures reached

2021-01-15 15:57:56 +1100

10 signatures reached