Gladys Berejiklian is accused of creating ‘two classes of people’ as riot cops storm a funeral in Sydney’s west while thousands are allowed to sunbake at the beach in the east
- Mayor claims Gladys Berejiklian is creating ‘two classes’ of people with response
- Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said double standards being applied
- Said sunseekers in Bondi can hit the beach while his residents heavily policed
- Referred to a case in his area where funeral mourners in his area were arrested
- ‘One gets arrested when they’re grieving. The other gets to sunbake,’ he said
Gladys Berejiklian is creating ‘two classes of people’ by enforcing tougher lockdown restrictions in some parts of Sydney than others, a mayor living under the harsher rules has claimed.
Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said the NSW premier’s approach showed double standards when his constituents are so heavily policed while residents in beachside suburbs such as Bondi can sunbake freely.
His LGA is one of 12 government areas where Covid-19 is spreading the most rapidly and residents face tougher restrictions around travel and public gatherings.
He referred to a case in Rookwood in western Sydney where funeral mourners were arrested for exceeding the 10-person gathering limits.
‘One gets arrested when they’re grieving. The other gets to sunbake. It doesn’t make any sense,’ he told ABC’s Q+A.
Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour said there were ‘double standards’ in Sydney after a case in Rookwood in western Sydney (pictured) where funeral mourners in his area were arrested for exceeding the 10-person gathering limits
By contrast, Sydneysiders soaked in the sun at Bondi Beach over the weekend. Residents outside of the city’s 12 LGAs of concern are living under lighter lockdown restrictions
Mr Asfour said he also feared Ms Berejiklian’s planned vaccine passport system – which will bar unvaccinated residents from bars, restaurants and cafes – would make it harder for small businesses in his area to operate.
‘We’re going to have two classes of people… my concern is how are my small business owners going to be able to police who can walk into their shops,’ he said.
‘How are they going to police that?’
He said Ms Berejklian had told him businesses should ‘call the police’ to help enforce the vaccine orders, but argued that approach wasn’t good enough.
‘We need more than that. They need some protections to make sure that they’re able to deal with [vaccine passports]. They don’t want their businesses suffering anymore than they have to,’ he said.
Pubs and restaurants are set to throw open their doors on October 4 to trial the NSW government’s vaccine passport app.
Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said the NSW premier’s approach showed double standards when his constituents are so heavily policed while residents in beachside suburbs such as Bondi can sunbake freely
Mr Asfour said he also feared Ms Berejiklian’s planned vaccine passport system would make it harder for small businesses in his area to operate. Pictured are residents on Sydney’s Pitt Street in the CBD
The state is set to emerge from its gruelling lockdown in mid October when vaccination rates hit 70 per cent coverage Pictured: Patrons at Sydney’s Opera Bar
Vaccine passports are set to become active in mid-October when vaccination rates hit 70 per cent coverage, Ms Berejiklian has said.
Lawyer and human rights advocate Mariam Veiszadeh said the differing restrictions amounted to a ‘postcode privilege’, while Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services Linda Burney said Sydney had become a tale of two cities.
‘And what I’m hearing from people — and I’ve had a lot of interaction with individuals, including Khal over the last week or so — there is an absolute feeling of two cities,’ Ms Burney said.
‘One where you see people going to the beach. And another where you’ve got helicopters flying over you with loud speakers. And that’s the reality.’
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