Following the judgment in his judicial review of the WA mandatory vaccination directions, which saw those directions upheld, Ben Falconer’s solicitors, together with his counsel, have determined that an appeal should be lodged in the WA Court of Appeal against that decision.

What is more, Ben Falconer and his colleagues, who are currently stood down on full pay, are set to be sacked next week by WA’s new Captain Harris, Commissioner Col Blanch. He replaced now Governor Chris Dawson, who instituted the directions in the first place and will sign off on the sackings (as Governor).

So much for the separation of powers.

This all comes despite mandatory vaccination directions being removed for police months ago, the CDC announcing last month that there is no difference between vaccinated and the unvaccinated, and the awkward reality that police resignations are at an all-time high – 100 officers have left in the last three months alone. Col Blanch has stated that these disciplinary measures are necessary to run an efficient police force. Officers are sacked by a Commissioner because he has lost confidence in them. Judging by the number of resignations, the rank and file have lost confidence in the Commissioner.

It won’t be long before the public loses confidence in him too, should crime rates keep rising and the thin blue line gets even thinner. In fact, WA Police numbers have gone backwards for first time since embarking on massive recruitment drive.

There are now 1,000 fewer officers on the beat than three months ago.

As Ben told Liam Bartlett’s 6PR morning program today, in the past police officers have faced disciplinary action for breaching the Criminal Code in, for example, unlawfully accessing personal data, yet have not been sacked. Ben and his colleagues are being targeted for standing up for a principle, and in doing so he and his colleagues are not sacrificing their careers lightly. For them, the rule of law means, among other things, that a person should not have to choose between a job they need and a jab they do not want. There is a fundamental principle at stake here in the name of defending liberty, and tyranny triumphs when good people stand by and do nothing.

Ben and his colleague are currently carrying the financial burden alone. It is imperative that they get the support they need to defend fundamental rights and freedoms that belong to all of us and are steadily being eroded.