An Open Letter to the New South Wales Premier and Minister for Health and Medical Research

by Deacon Stephen McKay, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop GEORGE+ of Canberra, Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

This article and letter have been written in my capacity as a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and with the blessing of His Grace, Bishop GEORGE+ of Canberra. The views expressed herein are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of my other employer, AC3.

The most chilling aspect of the current response to the Covid19 pandemic is not simply the interminable lockdowns or other inconveniences we must endure to stem the spread of the virus, not is it the economic fallout forcing the closure, sometimes even the permanent failure of numerous small business, although this is in itself a serious concern. By far the most disturbing aspect is the disregard for the foundational ethics of the medical profession, the necessity of individual informed consent for any medical treatment or prophylactic measures, and the now mandatory requirement for certain citizens of New South Wales to participate in the medical experimentation programme of vaccination trials currently running under the TGA's provisional pathway.

Placing any kind of coercive pressure upon any group of people to participate in medical experimentation is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Commonwealth of Australia is party state, and which is the foundational document for the Commonwealths Human Rights Commission Act 1986.