QResear.ch

#14019884 at 2021-06-30 06:29:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

#16 - Part 21
Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide - Part 1
>>13756846 Chef Pete Evans another traveller down the dark road of misinformation - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>13764297 Ron Watkins Is Done With Q and Has Moved On to Aliens (alienleaks.org) - Lucas Ropek - gizmodo.com.au
>>13811944 How it ends for the anti-vaxxers - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>13818968 ABC bosses pull Four Corners episode linking PM to QAnon figure - Zoe Samios - smh.com.au
>>13822172 ABC managing director David Anderson blocks Four Corners episode about alleged association between Scott Morrison and a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory - James Madden - theaustralian.com.au
>>13826637 'Deeply offensive': Prime Minister slams Four Corners' QAnon probe - Zoe Samios and Lisa Visentin - smh.com.au
>>13826647 Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejects 'offensive' link to QAnon - Daniel McCulloch - 7news.com.au
>>13826675 Scott Morrison labels ABC Four Corners program on QAnon 'disappointing' and 'poor form' - Amanda Meade - theguardian.com
>>13827112 ABC Media Watch Tweet: Video - Prime Minister responds to a question about the @4corners QAnon story
>>13832718 Australia's Prime Minister Has an Alarming QAnon Connection - David Gilbert - vice.com

>>13840854 Cautious or craven? The saga of Four Corners program on Morrison and QAnon has laid bare fractures within the ABC - Margaret Simons - theguardian.com
>>13840988 Dan Andrews surfaces online for the second time in four days after Daily Mail Australia questioned his six-week silence amid rumours about what REALLY happened when he slipped down stairs - but we still haven't seen his face - Sam McPhee and Levi Parsons - dailymail.co.uk
>>13848071 Four Corners staff have denied they are "at war" with ABC bosses in the wake of an episode about QAnon being pulled - Samantha Maiden - news.com.au
>>13848080 Four Corners pushes to air QAnon episode within weeks - Lisa Visentin and Zoe Samios - smh.com.au
>>13848083 ABC Four Corners episode linking Scott Morrison to QAnon 'may very well air' - Finn McHugh - theaustralian.com.au
>>13848087 A Cancelled 'Four Corners' Episode Linking Scott Morrison To QAnon Will Now Be Aired - Claire Keenan - junkee.com
>>13848404 Scott Morrison and QAnon: What we already know about the prime minister's connection to a conspiracy theorist - Christopher Knaus - theguardian.com
>>13848460 Victorian opposition accused of spreading conspiracies about Dan Andrews' injury - Calla Wahlquist - theguardian.com
>>13848460 Victorian Liberal Party Press release - PREMIER OWES VICTORIANS SOME SIMPLE ANSWERS - Louise Staley, Shadow Treasurer
>>13849249 Premier Dan Andrews can end the assault speculation now - Editor - cairnsnews.org

>>13855312 Video: Premier Daniel Andrews releases ambulance call-out information in bid to quell false rumours about his fall - Shannon Deery and Mitch Clarke - heraldsun.com.au
>>13855312 Ambulance Victoria Statement regarding Premier Daniel Andrews - 8 June 2021
>>13855340 Video: ABC Media Watch - ABC QAnon - ABC Managing Director David Anderson explains why he's reviewing a Four Corner's story about QAnon and the Prime Minister.
>>13855572 Video: 'These questions need answering': Victorian Liberal frontbencher probes Andrews' absence - Sky News Australia
>>13862278 'Q' Hasn't Posted In Six Months-But Some QAnon Followers Still Keep The Faith - Jack Brewster - forbes.com
>>13869394 Covid-19: when governments started lying to us - Adam Creighton - theaustralian.com.au
>>13876941 CONTROVERSIAL FOUR CORNERS EPISODE ON QANON TO FINALLY AIR AFTER BEING DELAYED - tvblackbox.com.au
>>13876948, >>13876952 Video: ABC FOUR CORNERS - Trailer: The Great Awakening: a family divided by QAnon - Monday 14th June at 8.30pm
>>1387704 Dan Andrews' injury: inside the conspiracy theory around the premier's fall - Michael McGowan - theguardian.com
>>13882298 Did Trump destroy evangelical Christianity? - Greg Sheridan - theaustralian.com.au
>>13848408 Q Post #3310 - Threat to Controlled Narrative. Other than POTUS, can you name a group more attacked than 'Q' by the FAKE NEWS media. Multiple tactics deployed including framing for crimes (think bridge, mob boss, etc etc). DESPERATION. Reconcile using logic. THINK FOR YOURSELF. DIVIDERS will FAIL.

#13756846 at 2021-05-26 07:49:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

Chef Pete Evans another traveller down the dark road of misinformation

JACK THE INSIDER (Peter Hoysted) - MAY 26, 2021

1/2

The company of celebrity chef, Pete Evans has been hit with almost $80,000 fines for alleged false advertising of wellness products.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration fined Evans' company for alleged false advertising of therapeutic goods, including the Bio-Charger lamp, hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers and two medicines.

The TGA also issued a directions notice to the company and its sole Director, Evans, for removal of alleged non-compliant advertising.

Therapeutic goods, including medical devices and medicines, must be entered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods before they can be legally advertised in Australia.

A quick peek into Evans' website reveals the products that drew the wrath of the TGA have been removed. There is no sign of the Bio Charger lamp that in April 2020, Evans claimed had recipes that could cure "the Wuhan coronavirus."

At the time, the manufacturers of the Bio Charger distanced themselves from Evans' claims, stressing it was "not a medical device" and "not intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases or any other conditions."

You can still buy some wellness pills made from sustainably sourced red marine algae, turmeric and organic agaricus bisporus (mushroom powder) of which no medical or health claims are made and bench top water filters that start at $869. Gotta get rid of that fluoride somehow.

I keep a fairly close eye on Evans, not from a consumer advocate point of view but because his claims are invariably weird and often inadvertently funny.

His latest obsession is the old, tortured conspiracy of chemtrails where condensation trails that appear from planes flying at high altitude are not condensation at all, but biological or chemical agents designed to... Well, you know, we're all being crop dusted by the deep state for some reason.

Evans, who said in his podcast he was able to trace air traffic in his part of the world (you guessed it, Byron Bay and its environs), made the fanciful claim that there were more aircraft in the skies during a pandemic when international borders were closed and the states themselves closed their borders.

Get a new conspiracy theory, Pete. This one's got very old.

Is Evans a harmless idiot or a dangerous influencer?

What we have seen is that in the space of a few years, Evans has gone from promoting various diets - paleo, more recently keto, not of themselves harmful when consumed by adults - to reposting neo-Nazi memes. That is a big shift in thought and belief, a quick fire veer to the fringes but it is actually commonplace among many people in the wellness industry.

We saw it last week when a beautician on the Gold Coast declared (with a massive publicity free kick from the media) she was banning customers from her shop who had been vaccinated for Covid-19.

She's not the first and she won't be the last. There was a massage business that did the same in NSW's Northern Rivers and several weeks ago, a NDIS service provider emailed her clients (some with intellectual disabilities) telling them she would no longer offer her services if they have been vaccinated for Covid-19.

In all three cases, the rationale was more or less the same. Each business spouted nonsense about viral shedding. None of the Covid-19 vaccines in use around the world are "live viral" vaccines. Viral shedding is bunk, a lie put about by anti-vaxxers.

(continued)

#13547948 at 2021-04-30 08:01:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

'Pastel QAnon': Instagram conspiracy peddlers a political headache for design giants

Cara Waters - April 30, 2021

1/2

At first glance the Instagram posts look innocuous: pastel-hued sunsets overlaid with text, a black and white shot of a couple embracing in a field of grass.

The imagery and the bucolic aesthetic sits well with the type of content posted regularly by countless wellness and parenting influencers. But there's a catch, as the underlying messages embedded in these posts can be dangerous, spreading baseless QAnon conspiracy theories about child sex trafficking rings or anti-vaccination information.

The rise of this content dubbed 'pastel QAnon' by extremism researcher Marc-André Argentino is posing a challenge for graphic design platforms such as $19 billion Australian startup Canva and international tech giant Adobe, with both grappling with the problem of their software being used to spread misinformation.

Canva's co-founder and chief operating officer Cliff Obrecht says he is alert to the problem and there are inevitably going to be some "questionable" designs in the 250 million created every month by its users.

Canva allows anyone to easily design products including greeting cards, posters, websites and presentation slides.

"We have our terms and conditions that are very clear in what we allow and don't allow," he says. "We don't allow anything that propagates untruths that essentially make our world a worse place."

The push to clamp down on the pastel QAnon phenomenon comes amid a growing global debate around where technology platforms must draw the line in censoring uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous activity by their users.

The platforms increasingly no longer consider themselves passive services and are actively taking steps to thwart content they object to - Twitter famously blocked former US President Donald Trump, and Amazon refused to host far-right social network Parler on its servers. In Australia, Facebook this week booted out independent MP Craig Kelly for repeatedly spruiking COVID-19 misinformation and former celebrity chef Pete Evans has also had his Instagram and Facebook accounts closed for sharing debunked claims about COVID vaccines.

The actions, while lauded by many, have raised concerns of overreach by technology platforms, where they police the behaviour of their users to stifle their freedom of speech.

Whether Canva and Adobe will go as far as to block users from their platforms remains to be seen, however, Ariel Bogle, analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says the services provided by Canva and Adobe to create visually pleasing aesthetics allow potentially dangerous messages to blend in on social media.

"It makes things more pleasant to look at but I do think the ability of some of these accounts that share, say anti-vaccination messages or QAnon messages, the ability to maintain aesthetic consistency makes it hard for the casual observer to quickly distinguish conspiracy related messages from more lifestyle messages," she says.

The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald contacted several QAnon, anti-vaccination and sovereign citizen groups about their use of the graphic design platforms.

The majority declined to respond, however, anti-vaccination group The Australian Vaccination Network confirmed it uses Canva to create its posts.

(continued)

#13515389 at 2021-04-26 09:16:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

Facebook removes Craig Kelly's page, says former Liberal MP breached misinformation policies

Jade Macmillan and Brett Worthington - 26 April 2021

Former Liberal MP Craig Kelly has been stripped of a controversial Facebook page, with the social media giant accusing him of breaching its misinformation policies.

Mr Kelly quit the Liberal Party to sit on the crossbench earlier this year after facing backlash from the Prime Minister and health experts for the content he was posting on his Facebook page about COVID-19 vaccines.

While he has lost access to his most high-profile page, Mr Kelly has told the ABC he still retained access to a second Facebook page.

He took aim at the company, accusing it of having "burnt and torched and incinerated and obliterated" his page, a move he compared to "burning books" to censor him.

But a Facebook spokesperson said Mr Kelly had repeatedly violated the site's policies.

"We don't allow anyone, including elected officials, to share misinformation about COVID-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm or COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts," the spokesperson said.

"We have clear policies against this type of content and have removed Mr Kelly's Facebook Page for repeated violations of this policy."

Mr Kelly attacked the decision as "censorship", saying Facebook informed him by text message on Monday morning.

"This was the most popular, highly used political Facebook page in the country," he said.

"They have basically burnt and torched and incinerated and obliterated from the record, previous comments and previous things that I'd made."

Mr Kelly has backed COVID-19 treatments against the advice of Australia's medical authorities and previously shared claims that forcing children to wear masks was a form of child abuse.

He also appeared on a podcast where he was interviewed by anti-vaccination campaigner Pete Evans.

Mr Kelly denied he was spreading misinformation about COVID-19.

"It is not misinformation if you have a difference of opinion," he said.

"The idea that they are some purveyors of all truth is just absolutely outrageous."

The crossbench MP described his second page as a "parliamentary page", while the now-removed page was one he posted on regularly.

"It's a violation of the principles of free speech and quite frankly I'm absolutely outraged by it," Mr Kelly said.

"These people are the heirs to those who used to go around burning books because that is effectively what they have done."

Labor and the Greens have repeatedly criticised the government for failing to intervene with Mr Kelly's posts sooner.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek clashed with Mr Kelly in a Parliament House corridor, where she accused him of spreading conspiracy theories.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-26/craig-kelly-facebook-page-removed-covid-19-misinformation/100095622

#13313378 at 2021-03-28 06:27:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

What has QAnon got to do with Australians?

It is often called a cult, but that implies something limited and small. Others suggest it is better understood as a new religion, or political movement. It could be both.

Margaret Simons - MARCH 28, 2021

1/4

It was mid-December, three weeks before rioters stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC. I was driving through the Northern Rivers region, just south of the Queensland border, and listening to podcasts by Pete Evans, Australia's most prominent proponent of QAnon conspiracy theories.

I had asked Evans for an interview. I told him I wanted to understand his path from celebrity chef to paleo diet enthusiast to Trump supporter and proponent of QAnon. He did not reply. But others had agreed to talk.

The hippies, everyone I spoke to agreed, had been the beginning of this region's reputation as a place for those prepared to question authority or, as one naturopath and QAnon conspiracy theorist put it to me, to "seek their own truth".

Evans posts several new episodes of his Evolve podcast each week. I listened to him interview a former Victorian public servant, Sanjeev Sabhlok, who resigned because of Premier Daniel Andrews' coronavirus lockdown - which Sabhlok described as "the great hysteria". Another interview was with British "teacher, mystic and award-winning poet" Richard Rudd, who told Evans the world was self-regulating by culling itself and, almost as a throwaway line, described democracy as "mob rule".

For the most part, Evans adopted the stance of the wide-eyed student, albeit one convinced that nothing mainstream media or most politicians said could be trusted. He said he "glances" at QAnon, just as he "glances" at mainstream media.

But as December progressed and Donald Trump escalated his claims about a stolen election, Evans became more explicit. On January 6 - the day of the Capitol riots - he interviewed 'Dave', who puts out one of the most popular US QAnon podcasts, introducing him as a "truthseeker". Dave said Biden would never be president. Trump had won the election.

The next day, Evans posted a video to Instagram. He was wearing a wetsuit in camouflage colours. He jerked a thumb to his chest and asked: "Are we going into battle? Maybe. Seems that way."

According to a study by the US NGO The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, by the middle of last year Australia had become the fourth-biggest country in the world for QAnon social media content and discussion, and while the United States still overwhelmingly dominates, the Australian footprint is growing - as it is in Britain and Canada.

The QAnon movement has swallowed up virus denialism, suspicions about 5G (which some believe causes COVID-19) and parts of the anti-vaccination movement, as well as ancient, almost archetypal tropes of anti-Semitism, of evil enemies eating babies.

Meanwhile, a new ecosystem of media and influencers has been created - podcasts, vodcasts, video 'documentaries' and books.This world overlaps with the mainstream media. The two most popular websites linked to by Australian QAnon posters are those of Sky News and The Australian, both owned by News Corporation, according to the Institute of Strategic Dialogue. The third most popular is the ABC.

There were many different groups among the mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 - including pre-existing racist groups such as the Proud Boys and the veteran-dominated right-wing militia the Oath Keepers. But why did tens of thousands of ordinary Americans spend time and money answering Trump's call to come to Washington? The vibe, the linking idea, the evangelism and the binding network was QAnon.

(continued)

#13266834 at 2021-03-21 07:06:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

An Australian celebrity lifestyle influencer is hosting some of the world's most notorious conspiracy theorists on his podcast

TOM PORTER - MAR 20, 2021

1/2

In an edition of his podcast, "Evolve," last November, Australian celebrity chef and lifestyle influencer Pete Evans introduced his latest guest, "biophysicist" and researcher Andreas Kalcker.

On the show, Kalcker claimed to possess a "100% effective solution" to the coronavirus, chlorine dioxide. He claimed that shadowy forces controlled by the International Monetary Fund were seeking to suppress the substance.

Their goal, he said, was to enrich themselves and perpetuate the "plandemic," a term for the coronavirus pandemic popularized by conspiracy theorists.

Evans listened respectfully, not pushing back on any of Kalcker's claims as they became increasingly outlandish.

He did not tell listeners that the substance his guest was promoting, chlorine dioxide, is a toxic bleach blamed for several deaths, that Kalcker has no medical credentials, or that the research he cited is at best disputed.

The episode was an example of how conspiracy theorists have found safe haven in podcasts even as other platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have forced them out.

His podcast is listed as one of Apple's most popular on nutrition. It used to be available on Spotify but was removed in January.

Many listeners were likely drawn to Evans' show because they knew him as judge of cooking show "My Kitchen Rules."

Evans did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Insider, nor did Apple.

Acast, a podcast platform that hosts Evans' show, said they would be removing it from the platform in April.

On podcasts, misinformation flourishes

The spread of misinformation on social media platforms received renewed attention as the pandemic swept the globe.

Public health authorities have battled to rebut misinformation about lockdown measures, the source of the virus, the effectiveness of masks, and the vaccines' safety developed to suppress it. Sites like Facebook have banned content containing false claims about the vaccines.

Less remarked-on is the role of podcasts, where guests and hosts on hugely popular shows spread misinformation about the coronavirus unchallenged.

Sean Creevy is the director of Kinzen, a company that helps clients monitor and combat disinformation. He said that podcasts allow guests to establish a particularly close bond with followers.

"What makes podcasting so unique is that it's incredibly intimate. That person's voice comes right through into our earbud. And so it's easy as listeners to let our guard down. Also, there isn't as much research on the problem of misinformation in podcasts, and so as a citizenry, we are probably less aware of the threat compared with the big platforms," he said.

Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's former chief strategist, used his Apple-hosted podcast, "War Room," to spread false claims about the coronavirus and stir fears of election fraud.

Joe Rogan has hosted Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and Infowars frontman banned from social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook for inciting violence.

Insider reported in January that Rogan also hosted the owner of a clinic that sells stem cell treatments for conditions where there is no evidence it is effective.

It's an area where little research has been done, so the problem's extent is unknown.

The Associated Press found several popular podcasts on major platforms spreading misinformation about the presidential election in January.

The pandemic has seen strange connections between wellness influencers with established media profiles, like Evans, and right-wing movements. Hostility to scientific and medical elites is their common cause.

(continued)

#13164832 at 2021-03-06 23:29:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

I got the rest set up this way

Notables are NOT Endorsements

#13a
>>12773831 Former QAnon supporter apologizes to Anderson Cooper 'for thinking you ate babies'
>>12775143, >>12775143, >>12775173 Malka Leifer: how a long-running child sexual abuse case tested Australia's relationship with Israel
>>12775241 'Pete Evans in the party room': Liberals, independents line up to take on Craig Kelly
>>12775406 Spy agency ASIS used veil of secrecy to stop news of suicide
>>12775645 Popular craft website Etsy caught selling childlike sex dolls that breach Australian child abuse laws
>>12786021 Charges against journos, editors dropped in Pell case
>>12786293, >>12786306 What does a new US govt mean for China-Australia ties?
>>12796913 Craig Kelly backs Pete Evans' right to spread conspiracy theories: 'Ideas should be debated'
>>12808388 Australian police say no criminal misconduct in Vatican funds transfer
>>12816083 UN should be given immediate access to Uighurs: Payne
>>12816108 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on February 3, 2021
>>12816920 Australian Federal Police Tweet
>>12817106 Joe Biden set to invite Scott Morrison to White House climate summit
>>12817159 Biden keen to visit Australia, spoke to Morrison about emissions reduction
>>12817176 PM holds 'warm and engaging call' with Biden
>>12817699 Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia
>>12817974, >>12817977 Coalition deletes references to rising far-right extremism in Senate motion
>>12821416, >>12821420 George Pell's prison notes are forgiving
>>12828416, >>12828424 Catholic Church paedophile networks to be mapped 'like organised crime' by academics
>>12828457 Australia watching China PNG city proposal
>>12828487 Sydney man arrested over child exploitation material import
>>12828508 Women held as sex slaves, drugged and tattooed as being 'property', Queensland police say
>>12835403 Afghan militia leader Matiullah Khan gave gold watches to Australian Special Forces commanders
>>12836590, >>12836663 Thousands of US marines to touch down in Darwin before June 2021
>>12855744, >>12855763 China confirms detained Australian Cheng Lei is accused of leaking state secrets
>>12855876 Foreign Minister Marise Payne - Statement on Ms Cheng Lei
>>12856518 Murdoch Watch Episode 2 - Murdoch and his role in the Trump Presidency
>>12866473 China has developed a reputation for 'hostage diplomacy'
>>12866521, >>12866522 Family calls for Sean Turnell's release by Myanmar military
>>12866540 Judge rules Australian government's attempt to obstruct Bernard Collaery's use of barrister 'unfair'
>>12867026 Andrew Forrest speaks out on Uighur rights abuses
>>12869879 G7 closes door to anti-China members
>>12869886, >>12869892 Australia's anti-China moves put it at disadvantage in international groupings
>>12877011 Media companies apologise to court for breaching Pell suppression order
>>12877497, >>12877508 Xanana Gusmao's sons 'disappointed' after their father attends accused paedophile's birthday party
>>12883469, >>12883484 Tsunami warning is issued for parts of Australia and New Zealand after TWO huge earthquakes
>>12884317, >>12884338 'Hollywood Australia' a $1.5bn movie blockbuster extravaganza
>>12885144 Melbourne couple accused of keeping woman enslaved for eight years faces court
>>12885645 Nine children rescued in the Philippines after Australian man charged
>>12885761 Queensland man charged with possessing child abuse material

#13164823 at 2021-03-06 23:26:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Big Tech Bun
>>12801490 Polish Government to Breitbart: Big Tech's 'Cancel Culture' Is Bolshevik, Not Democratic
>>12815543 Prime Minister Scott Morrison in talks with Google boss Sundar Pichai
>>12930175 Seven West Media strikes partnership with Google that will see tech giant pay for news content
>>12946320 Google closing in on news content deals with ABC, Nine, Guardian
>>12952105 Twitter deems Australia's account takeover warrant as antithetical to democratic law
>>12953381 Facebook deletes Pete Evans's Instagram account over repeated coronavirus and vaccine misinformation
>>12979230, >>12979251 Facebook has 'pulled the big guns out on Australia' with news ban, former CEO Stephen Scheeler says
>>12995647, >>12995652 Government slams Facebook for sick double-standards by creating the 'perfect' platform for paedophiles to share child abuse - while stopping YOU from reading the news
>>12996844, >>12996851 Misinformation runs rampant as Facebook says it may take a week before it unblocks some pages
>>13005598 Dutton slams Zuckerberg failure to fight child sex crimes
>>13013998 Facebook revealed to be a 'parasitic operation' which steals 'personal data'
>>13023405, >>13023424 Big tech bully about to learn it's not beyond the law
>>13029187 Facebook to reverse news ban on Australian sites, government to make amendments to media bargaining code
>>13065535, >>13065548 The Facebook outrage that's far, far worse

#13164822 at 2021-03-06 23:26:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Only because I worked REALLY REALLY hard on these

Covid-19 Bun
>>12775348, >>12775348, >>12775368 EU bans coronavirus vaccine exports to Australia
>>12776465 Perth plunged into five-day lockdown after positive case spends days in community
>>12797050, >>12797055 The QAnon threat to Australia's vaccine rollout
>>12797160, >>12797171 Top doctors' body hits out at Liberal MP Craig Kelly for appearing on Pete Evans' podcast
>>12808065 Scott Morrison delivers first public rebuke of Craig Kelly over controversial opinions on coronavirus vaccination
>>12808137, >>1280856 Craig Kelly puts the gag on ... for now
>>12811076, >>12811085Victoria returns to harsher COVID-19 restrictions after hotel quarantine worker tests positive
>>12811095 Snap coronavirus restrictions for Victoria after hotel quarantine worker tests positive | ABC News
>>12835067, >>12835094 Craig Kelly MP grows anti-vax COVID support base after Scott Morrison reprimand
>>12866739 European Union will not block Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses bound for Australia, ambassador says
>>12884479 Australian scientist on WHO mission confident COVID-19 originated in China
>>12897170, 12897183 Victoria to enter five-day lockdown to contain Holiday Inn outbreak
>>12920699 Churches on collision course with the government over AstraZeneca vaccine
>>12952584, >>12952594 Coronavirus: Gatecrashing consul was one of China's top cyber spies
>>13007353, >>13007359 Pete Evans gives bizarre speech at Sydney vaccine protest
>>13012648 'Experimental bio-warfare': Melbourne anti-vax protesters condemn COVID vaccine
>>13012663 PM receives COVID-19 jab as vaccine rollout begins ahead of schedule
>>13013382 Bill Gates addresses COVID-19 conspiracy theories and offers grim prediction in Australian interview
>>13020992 Aussie Open crowds boo vaccine rollout comment
>>13037661 China did 'little' to investigate COVID-19 origin, leaked WHO report claims
>>13038780 Whitney Webb on the Oxford-AstraZeneca Eugenics Links
>>13047011 Belgium gave pharmacists 15 million TOXIC Covid facemasks that can cause pneumonia
>>13050558, >>13050569 COVID-19 border closures and lockdowns fuelling extremist support in Australia
>>13050691, >>13050702 Tasmania Police took years to charge alleged paedophile nurse who worked with children, review finds
>>13083828 Victoria's coronavirus state of emergency powers set to be extended
>>13101656 COVID-19 2nd wave variant neutralises itself
>>13107281 EU, Italy stop AstraZeneca vaccine exports to Australia

#13164555 at 2021-03-06 21:41:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

QAnon: where does the conspiracy go to from here?

PHILLIP ADAMS - MARCH 6, 2021

Not to be confused with Q&A, the relatively harmless chat show on Oz politics compered by my relatively harmless ABC colleague Hamish Macdonald, QAnon is the source of much dangerous conspiracy theorising and played a pivotal role in the storming of the US Capitol.

Believing the world is being run by a cabal of Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic paedophiles from whom only Donald Trump can save us, many QAnoners were disappointed when one of the cult's more apocalyptic prophesies, "the Storm" that would bring down the cabal and all of Trump's enemies in one cataclysmic coup, failed to eventuate on that hectic day. They are now looking for a new direction. Which this column, on this very day, will provide.

This is not the first time I have come to the aid of raving ratbags. You already know about my creation DENSA, an alternative to MENSA with membership only open to those monumentally stupid above and beyond the call of duty. Now, to help with those unsatisfied with QAnon, I unveil XRay, the cult that will see right through all official obfuscation and fake news to descend even deeper into delusion than QAnon. XRay shall, to use popular jargon, both weaponise and monetise madness. I'm applying to have it registered alongside Hillsong and Scientology as a religion, which will make it both tax-free and a good little earner. And whereas Scientology uses a variation of the lie detector - known as the E-meter - to "audit" its recruits, we shall use the army surplus X-ray machines I bought on eBay.

Here is a random sample of the nutty ideas available in return for a tithe of your income. Bigger contributions get even better revelations:

1. Trump may have been robbed of his second term but he remains the Second Coming.

2. Not only did the Moon landing not occur, but the Moon itself is a hoax.

3. 9/11 was also a hoax and was carried out by the Lizard People.

4. John F. Kennedy is alive and well and living in witness protection with Elvis.

5. 5G technology causes, among other ills, dandruff and erectile dysfunction.

6. The coronavirus, created by George Soros and Bill Gates, fills your brain with nano-engineered drones.

7. Climate change is manufactured in a laboratory in Wuhan to destroy the Western economy.

8. I'd think up more conspiracy theories about hydroxychlorowhatsit but can't spell it.

9. Australia's bushfires were caused by a Jewish laser-beam.

As you can see I'm running out of ideas - I pinched the last one from QAnon and DENSA member Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican congresswoman from Georgia.

OK, I admit it. I need help. Tell you what, you help with the nutty ideas and I'll pay you in Qantas FFPs (got a heap I can't spend). And don't be afraid to be OTT. The OTTer the better - the more certain to attract ardent followers. QAnon is not alone in demonstrating that. Think Shirley MacLaine and all her past lives. Flying saucers. Fairies. The Bermuda Triangle. Terra Nullius. Aliens building the Pyramids. Trump's Birther Movement.

I suggest you limber up your synapses and loosen your neurons by taking mescalin and LSD, reading Alice in Wonderland, listening to old Goon Show episodes, watching vintage Monty Python. Or subscribe to Pete Evans' podcasts and follow George Christensen on Facebook. Or all of the above. It works for me.

PS. An Australian QAnoner claims a strong influence on Prime Minister Scott Morrison. How OTT is that!

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/qanon-where-do-they-go-from-here/news-story/898f360bb18995e76b596b8d8bcc3745

Phillip Adams is a prolific and sometimes controversial broadcaster, writer and film-maker. As presenter of Late Night Live, he has interviewed thousands of the world's most influential figures.

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/

#13164528 at 2021-03-06 21:34:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#13 - Part 16
Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide
>>12773831 Video: Former QAnon supporter Jitarth Jadeja apologizes to Anderson Cooper 'for thinking you ate babies' - MURI ASSUNÇÃO - nydailynews.com
>>12786176 Video: The US Capitol riots showed what a 'bunch of entitled white people' can do - Sarah Ferguson - abc.net.au
>>12790190 Video: Capitol Riot: How January 6 and Donald Trump changed America forever - Four Corners
>>12796913 Craig Kelly backs Pete Evans' right to spread conspiracy theories: 'Ideas should be debated' - Josh Butler - thenewdaily.com.au
>>12797050 The QAnon threat to Australia's vaccine rollout - Sam Williamson - aspistrategist.org.au
>>12816259 'Loony lies and conspiracies': The Republican Party's identity crisis - Matthew Knott - smh.com.au
>>12839432 Kevin Rudd Tweet: Murdoch has zero interest in stopping dangerous far-right extremism. He sees QAnon as just another marketing tool to sucker people into his parallel universe where he can take their money and tell them how to vote
>>12839432 Kevin Rudd Tweet: In America, the Murdoch media continues to support a QAnon congresswoman who is notorious for her racist, antisemitic nonsense. The lesson for Australia? Murdoch will back bigger fruitcakes than Craig Kelly if he thinks there's money and power to be gained
>>12866036 Trump's DC hotel is hiking prices for March 4 - the day QAnon followers think the former president will be sworn in - Joshua Zitser - businessinsider.com.au
>>12899025 Celebrity chef Pete Evans announces he will run for the Senate as a Great Australia Party candidate - Evin Priest, Jade Gailberger and Finn McHugh - news.com.au

>>12907263 QAnon cult happy at home in Republican Party - Phillip Adams - theaustralian.com.au
>>12907555 Video: Former QAnon believer Jitarth Jadeja says following the conspiracy "was absolutely a drug" - Jake Rosen - cbsnews.com
>>12907555 Video: Former QAnon follower Jitarth Jadeja on "The Takeout with Major Garrett" - cbsnews.com
>>12907869 'Dangerous Publicity Stunt': Expert Slams Pete Evans' Run For Senate - Eden Gillespie - sbs.com.au
>>12918879 QAnon pushes new conspiracies claiming Trump is still president - Sky News Australia
>>12920242 What's next for Donald Trump, the least predictable ex president- Jamie Seidel - news.com.au
>>12942846 How Australia became fertile ground for misinformation and QAnon - Michael McGowan - theguardian.com
>>12953381 Facebook deletes Pete Evans's Instagram account over repeated coronavirus and vaccine misinformation - AAP - abc.net.au
>>12996781 Kevin Rudd warns imitation of Fox News in Australia threatens to further fuel right-wing extremism - "I am worried that Qanon for example has a presence in this country"
>>13005953 'South Park' Looks Set To Tackle QAnon With 'South ParQ The Vaccination Special' - Dani Di Placido - forbes.com
>>13036378 Sky News Australia is tapping into the global conspiracy set - and it's paying off - Anne Davies - theguardian.com
>>13043646 No matter how many times QAnon's predictions prove to be wrong, some supporters keep justifying it to themselves - Chris Dengate, Ange Lavoipierre, Stephen Smiley and Scott Mitchell - abc.net.au

>>13059545 HBO Docuseries 'Q: Into the Storm' Wants to Solve the Mystery of QAnon - Greta Bjornson - decider.com
>>13059545 Video: Q: Into the Storm | Official Teaser - HBO
>>13076630 Disinformation experts aren't happy about the trailer for HBO's QAnon series - It teases what looks like a Hollywood blockbuster rather than a serious documentary

#13164490 at 2021-03-06 21:25:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#13 - Part 9
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>12775348 European Commission slaps immediate export ban on corona­virus vaccines to Australia so European citizens can be vaccinated first
>>12776465 Video: Perth plunged into five-day lockdown after positive case spends days in community - Rebecca Le May - theaustralian.com.au
>>12797160 Top doctors' body hits out at Liberal MP Craig Kelly for appearing on Pete Evans' podcast - Nick Pearson - 9news.com.au
>>12808065 Scott Morrison delivers first public rebuke of Craig Kelly over controversial opinions on coronavirus vaccination - abc.net.au
>>12808137 Video: Craig Kelly puts the gag on ... for now - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>12811076 Victoria returns to harsher COVID-19 restrictions after hotel quarantine worker tests positive
>>12811095 Video: Snap coronavirus restrictions for Victoria after hotel quarantine worker tests positive - ABC News Australia
>>12828530 Jeffrey Epstein victim compensation fund puts payout offers on hold until after March, coronavirus pandemic causing delays in liquidating assets
>>12835067 Craig Kelly MP grows anti-vax COVID support base after Scott Morrison reprimand - Ellen Whinnett - heraldsun.com.au

>>12866739 Video: European Union will not block Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses bound for Australia, EU ambassador Dr Michael Pulch says
>>12884479 Professor Dominic Dwyer, Australian scientist on WHO mission confident COVID-19 originated in China
>>12889276 Outrage as Melbourne's Anzac Day march is CANCELLED due to Covid despite there being just 11 people in hospital nationwide - two months from the day
>>12897170 Victoria to enter five-day lockdown to contain Holiday Inn outbreak
>>12920699 Churches on collision course with the government over use of aborted fetal cells in development of AstraZeneca vaccine
>>13006822 Australia is marching against tyranny
>>13007353 Pete Evans gives bizarre speech about his political aspirations at Sydney vaccine protest
>>13012648 Video: 'Experimental bio-warfare': Melbourne anti-vax protesters condemn COVID vaccine - Sky News Australia
>>13012663 Video: PM receives COVID-19 jab as vaccine rollout begins ahead of schedule - Sky News Australia

>>13013382 Video: Bill Gates addresses COVID-19 conspiracy theories and offers grim prediction in Australian interview - ABC News Australia
>>13020992 Video: Aussie Open crowds boo vaccine rollout comment - Sky News Australia
>>13037661 China did 'little' to investigate COVID-19 origin, leaked WHO report claims
>>13050558 PDF: ASIO and Victoria Police warn COVID-19 border closures and lockdowns fuelling extremist support in Australia
>>13050569 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security - Inquiry into extremist movements and radicalism in Australia
>>13055228 Anzac Day parade in Melbourne to go ahead with COVID-safe precautions
>>13083828 Victoria's coronavirus state of emergency powers set to be extended for nine months after negotiations between the Andrews government and the crossbench
>>13107281 EU, Italy block AstraZeneca vaccine exports to Australia to prevent supply shortage within Europe

#13164467 at 2021-03-06 21:21:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#13 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 1
>>12775241 'Pete Evans in the party room': Liberals, independents line up to take on Craig Kelly - James Massola - smh.com.au
>>12775406 Australian Secret Intelligence Service accused of being the "gold standard" for covering up mental health issues in its ranks - Cydonee Mardon - themercury.com.au
>>12796913 Craig Kelly backs Pete Evans' right >>12797160 Top doctors' body hits out at Liberal MP Craig Kelly for appearing on Pete Evans' podcast - Nick Pearson - 9news.com.au
>>12808065 Scott Morrison delivers first public rebuke of Craig Kelly over controversial opinions on coronavirus vaccination - abc.net.au
>>12808137 Video: Craig Kelly puts the gag on ... for now - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>12815543 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison in talks with Google boss Sundar Pichai following tech giant's threat to shut down search in Australia
>>12817974 Coalition deletes references to rising far-right extremism in Senate motion, references to far-left anarchism and communism added
>>12818226 Opinion: Rod Sims' big tech fixation blinds him to Murdoch's monopoly - Kevin Rudd - afr.com

>>12835067 Craig Kelly MP grows anti-vax COVID support base after Scott Morrison reprimand - Ellen Whinnett - heraldsun.com.au
>>12836590 Thousands of US marines to touch down in Darwin before June 2021: Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D)
>>12836663 Media Release - Defence Minister Linda Reynolds: Arrival of the 2021 Marine Rotational Force-Darwin
>>12846304 Kylie Moore-Gilbert's marriage breakdown after husband Ruslan Hodorov had secret affair with her colleague, Kylie Baxter
>>12866521 Sean Turnell, Australian academic and economic policy adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, detained by Myanmar military - Family calls for his immediate release
>>12866540 Judge rules Australian government's attempt to obstruct Bernard Collaery's use of highly respected barrister Bret Walker SC 'unfair'
>>12867040 Crown Resorts deemed unsuitable to operate new Sydney casino at Barangaroo - inquiry exposes allegations of money laundering
>>12878012 PDF: Kevin Rudd says Sky News is using Fox model to radicalise politics in Australia

>>12878019 Senate Inquiry into Media diversity in Australia - Submissions
>>12883469 'Get to higher ground': Tsunami warning is issued for parts of Australia and New Zealand after TWO huge earthquakes - one measuring 7.7 - hit the Pacific Ocean
>>12883484 Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology - CANCELLATION OF TSUNAMI WARNING FOR LORD HOWE ISLAND
>>12884317 'Hollywood Australia' a $1.5bn movie blockbuster extravaganza - Chris Hemsworth, Ron Howard, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Natalie Portman, Dwayne Johnson
>>12887673 INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH OUTBACK SALESPERSON IN AUSTRALIA
>>12899025 Celebrity chef Pete Evans announces he will run for the Senate as a Great Australia Party candidate - Evin Priest, Jade Gailberger and Finn McHugh - news.com.au
>>12899180 Microsoft president Brad Smith urges US to copy Australia's media code
>>12899180 Brad Smith - Why an Australian proposal offers part of what's needed for technology, journalism and American democracy itself

>>12917421 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Touch down! @USMC personnel from the tenth Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) have landed in the NT
>>12930175 Seven West Media strikes partnership with Google that will see tech giant pay for news content
>>12930885 Meteor flashes in the sky above Melbourne
>>12942916 Kylie Moore-Gilbert thanks Scott Morrison after release from Iran prison
>>12946271 Video: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern criticises Australia for stripping dual national terror suspect's citizenship
>>12946320 Google closing in on news content deals with ABC, Nine, Guardian
>>12952105 PDF: Twitter deems Australia's account takeover warrant as antithetical to democratic law
>>12952105 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security - Review of the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020

#13007359 at 2021-02-20 09:57:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13007353

2/2

Evans, who has been booted from Instagram, Facebook and Spotify after spreading misinformation about COVID-19, has become notorious for sharing conspiracies online. But he is not well known for speaking in public.

But more than 5700 people have joined a Facebook group vowing to march against "mandatory" coronavirus vaccines in multiple Aussie cities today. "Join us in the fight against medical coercion," the group's slogan reads.

"Pete Evans will be joining us tomorrow in Sydney! Come down and say hi to Pete and all of the other amazing speakers. MMAMCV 2021," a post from one of the march organisers reads.

More than 600 reacted to the post, and dozens commented, sending well wishes to Evans, and saying they'd be at the rally.

"I'm flying to Sydney for the march, lol," one woman wrote with a love heart emoji.

"Were right with you Pete ... thankyou ... I hope millions turn up," another wrote.

Evans last year lost a series of business deals after he posted a neo-Nazi cartoon on Instagram. He was dumped from appearing on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here, and his longtime publishing partner Pan Macmillan Australia also severed ties with him, as did Coles, Woolworths and a string of other business partners. It's believed the scandal cost Evans up to $1 million in brand endorsements alone.

Earlier this month, Evans shared a petition demanding no restrictions be placed on individuals who refused to take a coronavirus vaccine.

The petition has been submitted to the House of Representatives, calling on the government to confirm there will be "no restrictions placed on citizens or residents who refuse a COVID-19 vaccination".

"This includes restrictions on travel, right to re-enter the country, social events such as concerts or sports, and access to shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc."

Evans also announced he intends to run for a Senate seat with the Great Australia Party. The party is associated with Rod Culleton, who was elected as a member of One Nation, but later resigned from the party and became an independent.

"Pete Evans has maintained his principles and inspired others in the face of uncommon adversity," Mr Culleton said shortly after Evans announced his intention to run.

Evans routinely interviews anti-vaxxers on his podcast, and has shared numerous vaccine conspiracies on social media, including suggesting vaccinated children are less intelligent than those who aren't given jabs.

Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rollout is scheduled to begin on Monday.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/Pete-Evans-to-make-rare-public-appearance-at-sydney-antivaxxer-march/news-story/a40b831af6de9e0e6d9552afc9ae9646

#13007353 at 2021-02-20 09:55:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12899025
Pete Evans gives bizarre speech at Sydney vaccine protest

A shoeless Evans made a rare public appearance, giving a bizarre speech about his political aspirations at a Sydney vaccine protest today.

Phoebe Loomes - FEBRUARY 20, 2021

1/2

Former reality star turned conspiracist Pete Evans has made a bizarre speech about his political aspirations at an anti-vaxxer rally in Sydney.

The former star of My Kitchen Rules addressed hundreds of protesters at the Millions March Against Mandatory Covid Vaccination rally in Hyde Park today.

"I don't have the answers. No one is coming to save you except you," Evans told the screaming crowd.

"Each and every one of you has to stand up in whatever capacity you can."

He said he had always suspected an election campaign was in his future.

"I begged people I thought could change the future of Australia. I f*cking begged," he said.

"But in the back of my mind there was this little guy going, 'you know you're gonna have to do this'."

"I will speak the truth. Well it's my truth. Everybody has their own truth," he said.

"Some people are activists, some people hold space through meditation. Some people enter into parliament - which is the last thing I would ever consider, but I've been invited to step in as the Federal senator for the NSW seat.

Evans said he would do his "best" to represent the people in the crowd to the best of his capacity.

Hundreds turned out for the anti-vaxxer rally, holding signs urging people to "just say no".

"F*ck Bill Gates!" the group chanted as they marched from Hyde Park through the city.

"We hope that Bill Gates liar goes to jail," another group of men sang.

"My body my choice," protesters broke out chanting intermittently as they marched.

A bystander in Pitt St Mall told news.com.au he felt the protesters "had a point".

"This is the whole point of democracy."

Another woman was less impressed with the rally.

"It's rubbish," she said.

Another bystander, Ziggy, told news.com.au he felt the protesters were "just selfish".

"This is a society," he said, adding the point of vaccines were to "help everybody".

Almost all the marchers clutched signs with slogans on them.

"The so-called vaccine is a permanent DNA modification," one woman's sign read.

Multiple families had brought on their children who held signs with anti science slogans.

"Let me learn to think for myself," read a sign held by one young boy, who looked bored, and sunburned.

A speaker opening the rally mocked the COVID marshal on site.

"I don't know if you've heard but there's an oogie boogie virus going around."

He then urged people to visit the COVID Marshall if they'd "escaped ICU" and were feeling unwell.

International rugby player Frankie Winterstein and his wife Taylor Winterstein talked to the crowd.

Taylor told mothers they're "on the front line" in the fight against vaccines.

(continued)

#12953381 at 2021-02-17 09:04:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12899025
>>12907869
Facebook deletes Pete Evans's Instagram account over repeated coronavirus and vaccine misinformation

AAP - 17 February 2021

Celebrity chef Pete Evans has been permanently booted off Instagram for sharing misinformation about coronavirus and vaccines.

Facebook confirmed it deleted Mr Evans's account on the popular picture-sharing platform on Wednesday.

The account had hundreds of thousands of followers.

"We removed Pete Evans's account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," the company said in a statement.

"We don't allow anyone to share misinformation about COVID-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm or about COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts."

Mr Evans's Facebook page was removed in December, but he continued to share misinformation through Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook.

Facebook had earlier removed several of the chef's Instagram posts for violating its policies on misinformation.

Facebook's COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation policies were updated last week, with the company vowing to crack down on false claims.

On Wednesday, Facebook expanded the list of false claims it promises to remove, adding several more about coronavirus and the vaccines.

False claims that the company says will not be tolerated include that COVID-19 is man-made, that it is safer to get the disease than the vaccine, and that vaccines are toxic, dangerous or cause autism.

Facebook consulted with health groups such as the World Health Organization before expanding the list.

Mr Evans was a judge on My Kitchen Rules between 2010 and 2020.

He has repeatedly made posts opposing COVID-19 vaccines and masks, shared discredited coronavirus cures, and claimed in a podcast that the coronavirus is a hoax.

Mr Evans regularly used his Instagram account to cast doubt on official information about COVID-19, vaccines, and other parts of mainstream science.

His company was fined more than $25,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in April after he promoted a device called a "BioCharger" on a Facebook live stream, claiming it could be used in relation to coronavirus.

The TGA said the claim had "no apparent foundation".

Mr Evans announced last week he would run for federal parliament, standing as a Senate candidate for a fringe party set up by former One Nation senator Rod Culleton.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-17/Pete-Evans-facebook-deletes-chefs-instagram-account-coronavirus/13164812

#12907879 at 2021-02-13 01:46:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12907869

2/2

In the 2019 federal election, GAP won 0.04 percent of the vote, whereas smaller parties like One Nation received 3.08 percent and The Greens, 10.4 percent.

Dr Ross said The Great Australian Party has been "sniffing around" the anti-lockdown movement and "sits on the fringe of the sovereign citizens movement."

The Great Australian Party claims on its website that its primary objective is to uphold Commonwealth Law.

Another policy listed on the website is to stop "forced medications", including vaccinations and fluoride.

Mr Culleton resigned from One Nation in 2016. At the time, Senator Pauline Hanson said she was "glad to see the back of him" and he'd been "a pain in my backside".

That same year, he was declared bankrupt by the Federal Court over a $280,000 debt to a Perth businessman.

He was later disqualified from the Senate in early 2017 during a High Court decision, according to Sydney Morning Herald.

On Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked about whether Pete Evans running for Senate would undermine confidence in the vaccine roll-out.

Mr Morrison answered "no", before adding, "I do not propose you give him any air. I will not give him any."

While Liberal Senator, Simon Birmingham told Sky News he trusted the Australian people to elect "more sensible" people to the parliament.

"I think Australians have little tolerance for some of the types of views that Pete Evans has pushed in the past and will elect more sensible people to the Australian Senate at the next election."

When asked about Evans' Senate run, Labor MP Tanya Plibersek told The Feed, "Australia's a democracy."

"He's perfectly entitled to run for election, just as Australians are perfectly entitled not to vote for him."

In a statement to The Feed, Greens Senator for NSW Dr Mehreen Faruqi said the idea of Pete Evans joining her in the chamber "makes my skin crawl."

"Let's be clear about who this guy is. He's not a 'celebrity chef' anymore. He's a dangerous conspiracy theorist who has shared neo-Nazi content," Dr Faruqi wrote.

"We can't let the far-right and conspiracy theorists become more accepted as part of mainstream politics."

"Everyone has the right to run for election, but no one owes these conspiracy theorists a platform."

The Feed has contacted Pete Evans and Rod Culleton from The Great Australian Party for comment.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/dangerous-publicity-stunt-expert-slams-Pete-Evans-run-for-senate

#12907869 at 2021-02-13 01:44:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12899025
'DANGEROUS PUBLICITY STUNT': EXPERT SLAMS Pete Evans' RUN FOR SENATE

An expert has described Pete Evans' bid for a Senate seat as a "celebrity move" that "cheapens politics".

EDEN GILLESPIE - 12 FEBRUARY 2021

1/2

Conspiracy theory expert, Dr Kaz Ross, has labelled Pete Evans' run for NSW Senate a "publicity stunt with dangerous implications".

The Great Australian Party, led by ex-One Nation senator Rod Culleton, announced on Friday that the former celebrity chef would be its first federal candidate.

Evans has repeatedly promoted anti-vaccination views on social media. Last November, Evans' book publisher and various other commercial partners cut ties with the chef after he shared a cartoon featuring a Neo-Nazi symbol.

At the time, Evans apologised for 'mistakenly' sharing the symbol and claimed he "had to actually Google what neo-Nazi meant."

Dr Ross told The Feed Evans has a "nose for clicks" and a special talent for making headlines.

She believes Evans' run for Senate is not motivated by his interest in politics but an attempt to bolster his celebrity status.

"It's just a celebrity move and that really cheapens what the political system is about," Dr Ross said.

"The danger is turning politics into a popularity circus. Do we want celebrity culture spilling over into politics?" she added.

Evans recently attracted attention for interviewing Liberal MP Craig Kelly, who's been criticised for sharing misinformation about so-called treatments for COVID-19 on Facebook.

Dr Ross said the interview with Kelly exposed Evans' gaping knowledge about the Australian political system.

Despite his political ambitions, Evans asked the MP, "What is it that you do for your electorate if that's the correct terminology?"

He then followed up by asking, "So currently where are you sitting? You said you're in Canberra, so explain your title," before asking Mr Kelly to explain the role of the Senate.

"You can tell from his interview that he did with [MP] Craig Kelly that he has zero concept of how the Senate works or what a senator does," Dr Ross said.

Evans bid for a Senate seat comes as the US sees an increasing number of individuals promoting conspiracy theories enter the political arena.

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene apologised last week for her previous embrace of QAnon and for falsely suggesting that several mass shootings were secretly perpetrated by government actors.

Dr Ross said the QAnon movement, in which its followers believe an elite cabal is running a global sex trafficking ring, has weakened the public's trust in democracy.

"Here in Australia, we've got a lot of challenges for our country. So let's get the best representatives we can get," she added.

So what are Evans chances of nabbing a Senate seat? According to Dr Ross: "absolutely zero".

(continued)

#12899025 at 2021-02-12 06:54:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Celebrity chef Pete Evans announces he will run for the Senate as a Great Australia Party candidate

Pete Evans has confirmed his move to politics, announcing he will stand as a candidate for a fringe party run by a former One Nation senator.

Evin Priest, Jade Gailberger, Finn McHugh - FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Pete Evans has announced he will join politics and run for the Senate with former One Nation senator Rod Culleton's The Great Australian Party.

Controversial celebrity chef and known anti-vaxxer Evans was announced as a candidate for the upcoming federal election in a statement from the party about 1am on Friday.

"Pete Evans has maintained his principles and inspired others in the face of uncommon adversity," a statement from Mr Culleton said.

"Pete is fully supportive of the GAP ethos, supporting restoration of the commonwealth and the preservation of democracy in Australia.

"Throughout his engagement with GAP's national selection committee, Pete presented an unwavering commitment to advancing the freedoms of all Australians. As a result, he has been resoundingly approved.

"Pete Evans has consistently demonstrated courage in exposing matters of public information and interest, provoking much needed debate despite personal cost to himself.

"I believe Pete Evans will effectively and diligently represent GAP's growing membership base and all NSW constituents. Pete possesses the essential attributes required to challenge the status quo and restore the rule of law as defined in our constitution.

"It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Pete and welcome him on board as GAP's first federal candidate for the NSW senate."

Evans has previously been blasted for holding anti-vaxxer views which he aired on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in May last year.

With Australia approaching its rollout of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines for COVID-19, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked about Mr Evans' political ambitions on Friday.

He denied Mr Evans' run would undermine confidence in Australia's vaccine rollout, but urged media outlets not to give undue attention to the conspiracy theorist.

"It all depends on how much publicity you choose to give him. I'm not going to give him any, so I don't propose you do," Mr Morrison said.

Senate leader Simon Birmingham was also asked how he would feel about being in the chamber with Mr Evans.

But Senator Birmingham told Sky News that he trusted the Australian people to elect "more sensible" people to the parliament.

"I think Australians have little tolerance for some of the types of views that Pete Evans has pushed in the past and will elect more sensible people to the Australian Senate at the next election," he said.

Friday's confirmation comes about a month after Evans first teased the news on Instagram and two months after he was abandoned by a large number of his sponsors, including his publisher, for posting a neo-Nazi symbol on Instagram.

Evans was dropped by Pan Macmillan, which published 17 of his books, before Channel 10 booted him off I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!

Woolworths, Big W, Dymocks, Coles, Kmart, Target and the homeware brands Baccarat and House also distanced themselves from him.

Mr Culleton, a Western Australia-based politician, initially sat as a One Nation senator and then independent following the 2016 election.

But he was booted from this position later that same year after the Federal Court found he was bankrupt.

In 2017, the High Court also ruled that Mr Culleton was ineligible to run as a senator due to a larceny charge in NSW.

The small party lists policies related to tax reform, the elimination of local councils and the abolition of the Reserve Bank.

In August, Mr Evans revealed an allegiance to former US president Donald Trump.

Mr Evans donned a red "Make America Great Again" cap synonymous with Trump fans as he declared his support for the hotel billionaire online.

"Yeah I'm going to say it, go Trump," Evans said in the lead-up to the US election in which Mr Trump was beaten by Democrat Joe Biden.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/politics/celebrity-chef-Pete-Evans-announces-he-will-run-for-the-senate-as-a-great-australia-party-candidate/news-story/9f1ec763129a4de26a57e75c233a2002

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKCX46rBxnA/

#12835067 at 2021-02-06 00:36:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Craig Kelly MP grows anti-vax COVID support base after Scott Morrison reprimand

Despite peddling dangerous conspiracy theories and being dressed down by Scott Morrison, rogue MP Craig Kelly's popularity continues to grow.

Ellen Whinnett - February 6, 2021

1/2

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's public rebuke of Liberal MP Craig Kelly for spruiking unproven COVID-19 treatments appears to have boosted the maverick MP's popularity and influence on social media.

The member for Hughes in Sydney's south was hauled into the PM's office this week for a 30-minute lecture on how he was undermining the Government's message on the COVID-19 vaccine.

The PM had earlier made a cease-and-desist phone call to Mr Kelly when the backbencher appeared on a podcast with anti-vaxxer chef Pete Evans, who was fined last year for trying to flog a $15,000 light machine he claimed could cure COVID.

But after a live-to-air clash with journalist Allison Langdon on the Today show, followed by a toe-to-toe row with Labor's Tanya Plibersek in front of the Canberra press gallery, Mr Morrison upped the pressure.

Mr Kelly was ordered into the PM's office for a talking to, whereupon he agreed to cease what Labor has described as a campaign of disinformation.

But far from the controversy putting off his constituents, Mr Kelly has picked up support.

His official Facebook page, where he posts an eclectic array of articles supporting unproven COVID treatments, questions climate change, and suggested making children wear face masks was akin to child abuse (children do not have to wear face-masks in Australia), had 86,000 followers last month.

By Thursday night, he had almost 95,000, many of them defending him from what they saw as a concerted attack by the mainstream media, the government establishment, and the Left of politics. He picked up another 1000 followers in the 24 hours to Friday morning.

While Mr Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese both have a much larger group of social media followers, Mr Kelly has vastly more than other backbench MPs, meaning his reach and ability to talk directly to like-minded voters is powerful.

This was part of the dilemma for Mr Morrison, who had to tread carefully for fear Mr Kelly would go completely rogue.

"You don't want to make a martyr out of him. Every time you do he picks up another 5000 followers,'' one source close to the action said.

Senior Liberals, more interested in spruiking the Government's COVID vaccine and highlighting Labor leadership tensions, were fretting about his freelancing, which was dominating the airwaves.

"It's just not helpful,'' one MP said. Another said his views were "dangerous.''

It's not the first time Mr Kelly, who worked for his parents' furniture business before being elected in 2010, has been dragged into line by the Prime Minister's Office over his Facebook page. It happened a year ago, after another high-profile clash with a woman.

Mr Kelly had appeared live on the top-rating Good Morning Britain show in the UK last January, got into a stoush with the presenters over Australia's bushfire disaster, and took umbrage at being called a "climate denier.''

He used Facebook to describe Laura Tobin, the program's meteorologist, as an "ignorant Pommy weather girl,'' in a post which unleashed a stream of sexist and vile comments from some of his followers, and led to an order from the PM's office to delete the post.

He did.

(continued)

#12808156 at 2021-02-03 06:38:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12808137

2/2

Earlier this morning, Kelly and Labor Deputy leader, Tanya Plibersek, 'clashed' in the corridors of parliament as Plibersek asked if Kelly agreed with his Prime Minister.

"Listen to the words of our most senior immunologist …. He has said in the Sydney Morning Herald today, Craig Kelly is absolutely right," Mr Kelly replied in that awful manner of athletes, celebrities and the occasional gormless politician, of referring to themselves in the third person.

When it comes to the roll out of Covid-19 vaccines, Kelly has not yet confirmed that he will roll his sleeve up and take the needle. But that again has provided no call for action from the Prime Minister's Office.

The ball gag on Kelly's Covid-19 treatment musing was probably whacked on this morning, nice and tight, after Kelly was interviewed on video by celebrity chef turned conspiracist, Pete Evans.

Evans was banned on Facebook for posting a raft of disinformation about Covid-19, and QAnon posts and until January 20 was peddling the lie that Trump won the US election. He continues to post on Telegram, an alternate version of Facebook but his 1.5 million Facebook followers have been left bereft of the chef's occasional recipes mingled with alt-Right conspiracies.

On the video, Kelly made it clear he disagrees with Evans on Covid-19 vaccinations and vaccinations in general. For what it's worth, Evans says he is not anti-vax but a supporter of safe vaccines. It's just that he's never met a vaccine he considers safe.

The interview was a step too far for the Prime Minister. Sure, Kelly doesn't agree with Evans' bizarre and frankly dangerous nonsense, but it is more about the company you keep. Just in the last week, Evans has posted QAnon rubbish and more drivel that Covid-19 is a deep state 'plandemic' and the disease itself is no worse than the common cold.

The stain of association with Pete Evans was, I'd argue, the reason Kelly was pulled up today. I expect the conversation in the Prime Minister's office would have been pretty much all one way with the word 'preselection' featuring prominently.

The government's fortunes are heavily invested in an efficient and effective roll out of Covid-19 vaccines this year. The chance to go to the people early depends on it.

Having one of his backbenchers buddying up to Pete Evans while remaining on the fence on Covid-19 vaccinations was the breaking point. What will be interesting is how long Craig Kelly keeps the gag on.

Peter Hoysted is Jack the Insider: a highly placed, dedicated servant of the nation with close ties to leading figures in politics, business and the union movement.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/craig-kelly-puts-the-gag-on-for-now/news-story/7762220fdaea591b46585f6316112576

https://www.facebook.com/CraigKellyMP

#12808065 at 2021-02-03 06:19:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12796913
Scott Morrison delivers first public rebuke of Craig Kelly over controversial opinions on coronavirus vaccination

3 February 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has offered his first public rebuke of Craig Kelly as the Liberal backbencher faces mounting pressure for spreading misinformation about COVID-19.

Earlier today, Mr Morrison hauled the Liberal MP into his office and ordered him to refrain from pushing views that are contrary to the accepted medical advice.

Mr Kelly has come under fire for promoting unproven COVID-19 therapies on social media, and for appearing in a podcast hosted by anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans.

Mr Morrison told the Parliament he made his position clear to Mr Kelly.

"It is true views expressed by the Member for Hughes do not align with my views, or the views of the advice that has been provided to me by the Chief Medical Officer," the Prime Minister said.

"Earlier today, the Member for Hughes and I discussed these matters, and I made it very clear that was the view of me as a Prime Minister and of course the views of the Government."

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek, a former health minister, clashed with Mr Kelly earlier on Wednesday, accusing him of spreading harmful information.

"My Mum lives in your electorate and I don't want her exposed to people who are not going to be vaccinated because of these crazy conspiracy theories that you're spreading," Ms Plibersek said.

Mr Kelly, who represents a Sydney electorate next to Mr Morrison, defended his actions and said he wasn't anti-vaccination but instead raising the concerns of an immunologist.

But Mr Morrison told the Parliament he wanted Australians to follow the advice of the nation's medical authorities.

"Vaccination is critical, it is our primary responsibility this year as we continue to respond to the pandemic, and I welcome the statement, which was issued by the Member for Hughes following our meeting," he said.

"Our job is to get on with the job of the vaccine. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is the authoritative body not just in this country, but respected around the world."

Mr Kelly released a written statement after his meeting with Mr Morrison in which he said he supported the Government's vaccine rollout.

The Prime Minister addressed the matter, unprompted, after Question Time.

Just days earlier, speaking at the National Press Club, he refused to distance himself from Mr Kelly, insisting he was a very good Member for Hughes.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he was pleased Mr Morrison had made a "belated statement" to distance himself from Mr Kelly.

"I hope that today sees an end to the information or disinformation from the Member for Hughes," he told the Parliament.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-03/scott-morrison-distances-himself-from-craig-kelly-covid-vaccine/13117776

https://twitter.com/SabraLane/status/1356761321912430592

#12797160 at 2021-02-02 06:50:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12796913
Top doctors' body hits out at Liberal MP Craig Kelly for appearing on Pete Evans' podcast

Nick Pearson - Feb 2, 2021

1/2

One of Australia's leading doctor groups has criticised Liberal MP Craig Kelly for "disseminating misinformation" about coronavirus.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) hit out at Mr Kelly for appearing on a podcast hosted by conspiracy theorist and former TV chef Pete Evans.

Mr Evans called Mr Kelly a "beautiful and beyond courageous man" in a 90-minute interview on the podcast.

RACGP President Dr Karen Price said it was unacceptable the politician was podcasting with "a disgraced former celebrity chef".

"We are still in the middle of a pandemic that is leaving many people feeling understandably anxious and exhausted," she said.

"Those like Pete Evans are preying on that anxiety to peddle false information and he should not be enabled by anyone, especially a federal Member of Parliament."

The RACGP noted Mr Kelly had also likened compulsory mask wearing in schools to "child abuse".

But speaking to nine.com.au, Mr Kelly "categorically denied spreading misinformation".

"It's a disgraceful political beat-up from the opposition that has nothing to add to the political environment than to slander and smear," he said.

Dr Price said Australians should listen to the medical experts on COVID-19.

"I understand Mr Kelly's argument that he is happy and willing to advance his point of view with any interviewer," she said.

"However, he must appreciate that Pete Evans is using these platforms to spread alarming misinformation, including content linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory and COVID-19 denialist claims."

Mr Kelly defended appearing on Evans' podcast, describing the former celebrity chef as a "victim of cancel culture".

"If we were to have a society where we refused to discuss or talk to people who made a silly comment at one stage, what kind of society would we have?" he said.

"I seriously disagree that some things the ABC has said. But does that mean I don't speak to the ABC?

"I could go through that things that have been put to air on the ABC, and to defeat those ideas is not to censor them but to bring them out to public and show that they are wrong.

"The idea that we cancel this person from society, that is a stain on our democracy."

(continued)

#12797050 at 2021-02-02 06:25:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

The QAnon threat to Australia's vaccine rollout

Sam Williamson - 2 Feb 2021

1/2

What began as a post on anonymous message board 4chan-home to trolls, internet shock-jocks and excursionists-has morphed into an international conspiracy theory posing a threat to Australia's vaccination rollout against Covid-19. The QAnon movement has spread worldwide since 2017, beyond the control of those who originally dropped the cryptic posts into anonymous online threads.

QAnon conspiracists promote an endless, evolving slew of unfounded and disproven claims, ranging from various government officials having been arrested in the dead of night to bombshell political revelations that are 'just around the corner' and 'only a week away', never to eventuate. The continual goalpost-shifting allows the group to mould and shape the movement to whatever current events grab their attention.

The conspiracy spread like wildfire after the original posts, gaining traction in online far-right circles and eventually receiving mainstream promotion through prominent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who was recently required to pay US$100,000 in defamation costs for falsely claiming that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. QAnon merchandise then appeared at a 2018 Donald Trump rally, entangling the movement with the president's base in a symbiotic relationship. QAnon adherents found a crowd with which to spread and monetise the theory, while Trump supporters found a (somewhat) coherent explanation for the obvious chaos and disorder of the administration.

The disrupted and turbulent year that was 2020 provided fertile ground for conspiracy theorists and extremists-a chance to connect dots and internalise a narrative that simplifies the complex and fear-inducing nature of a global pandemic. Australian QAnon followers have blended the original claims relating to satanic government cannibals and their imminent arrest with other discredited conspiracy theories, such as that 5G technology spreads coronavirus and that the global pandemic has been an orchestrated event. Q merchandise makes regular appearances at Australian anti-5G and anti-lockdown marches.

Perhaps the most notable and prominent Australian in the clutches of the theory is ex-celebrity chef Pete Evans. The disgraced reality TV star continuously references the child trafficking and paedophilia accusations levelled by QAnon enthusiasts, and recently shared neo-Nazi iconography to hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. This high-profile addition to the movement signals a danger to Australian health officials not because of who Evans is but because of what he represents-the Q cult is no longer solely within the domain of the far right. His position as a notable bellwether within the 'alternative' (discredited) health community indicates that Australia isn't immune to the spread of dangerous misinformation transcending ideological lines.

Despite the seeming absurdity of their claims, members of the QAnon cult have been linked to crimes as serious as kidnapping and murder in the US, as well as the attempted insurrection at the Capitol building in Washington last month. Supporters are evidently not afraid to engage in acts they see to be furthering the cause of the group based on flimsy evidence and debunked theories.

(continued)

#12796913 at 2021-02-02 06:00:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Craig Kelly backs Pete Evans' right to spread conspiracy theories: 'Ideas should be debated'

Josh Butler - Feb 1, 2021

Coalition MP Craig Kelly has defended his 90-minute appearance on a podcast from disgraced former celebrity chef Pete Evans, saying "you've got to be able to talk to people you don't agree with".

"I'm sure many people would think 'I don't agree with what The New Daily says, why the hell are you speaking to The New Daily?'" Mr Kelly told The New Daily with a laugh.

"I'm always happy to talk and put my side of the argument. That's how our democratic society should work."

Mr Kelly, the Member for Hughes, joined Evans for a long interview on Monday afternoon.

Evans, a former judge on My Kitchen Rules, has been heavily criticised for promoting dubious health advice through the pandemic, including vaccine scepticism and calling COVID a "scam" and a "fake pandemic narrative".

He has also posted content linked to the baseless and dangerous Qanon conspiracy theory.

Evans was banned from Facebook in December for "repeated violations" of its policies around COVID-19 "misinformation", while his podcasts were also removed from Apple and Spotify.

In November, he was dropped from numerous commercial arrangements and a book deal after posting a meme featuring a neo-Nazi symbol to his Instagram. He later apologised and claimed the post had been "misinterpreted".

However, just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Kelly was doing "a great job", Evans revealed the Member for Hughes would appear as a guest on an upcoming podcast episode. Evans called him a "beautiful and beyond courageous man" and a "true hero", after a 90-minute conversation.

"Craig Kelly MP is sharing the truth over and over again and keeps moving forward without fear," Evans wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of a beaming Mr Kelly brandishing a thumbs-up.

Evans also again hinted at a possible political candidacy, saying he wanted to meet Mr Kelly "in Canberra in the not-too-distant future".

Mr Kelly, too, has come under fire for posting contested COVID-19 claims on his Facebook page, questioning face masks, expert medical advice and COVID treatments. Many of his claims have been refuted categorically by Australia's chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly and the Therapeutic Goods Administration, among other global experts.

Labor MPs Tim Watts and Josh Burns were quick to criticise Mr Kelly, but the Liberal MP defended his appearance.

"I basically said to Pete Evans, 'I disagree with what you say and I disagree with some of the things you've posted, however I defend your right to say those things'," Mr Kelly told TND.

"If you're posting wrong ideas, those ideas should be debated and challenged, rather than censored. That's the way, in a democratic society, you get to the truth."

Just hours earlier, Labor's health spokesman Mark Butler had labelled Mr Kelly a "dangerous menace" over his social media activity.

When asked if he subscribed to the Qanon conspiracy theory, considering Evans' prior posts about the topic, Mr Kelly said he "categorically" did not.

"Someone had to explain to me what Qanon actually was. I haven't followed it, don't understand it. To be honest, I still don't understand it," he said.

"As I understand it, it's some crazy conspiracy theory."

Mr Kelly also said he looked forward to standing for election as the Liberal candidate for Hughes at the next poll, and welcomed Mr Morrison's "great job" comments.

"Great to have the Prime Minister's support. We get on very well. I've been here for 10 years, and I think the team under Scott is the most united that it's ever been since I've been in the place," he added.

Mr Kelly has been on a personal crusade to promote hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug briefly boosted by former US president Donald Trump, and ivermectin, an anti-parasitic treatment, for coronavirus.

Both treatments have been repeatedly shot down by local and global health experts, including the TGA.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/02/01/craig-kelly-Pete-Evans-podcast/

https://twitter.com/joshburnsmp/status/1356147521001672705

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKvVrbzBdQC/

#12775241 at 2021-01-31 04:51:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

'Pete Evans in the party room': Liberals, independents line up to take on Craig Kelly

James Massola - January 31, 2021

Controversial Liberal MP Craig Kelly is facing twin challenges to hold on to his southern Sydney seat of Hughes, with moderate Liberals and a local campaign hoping to blast him out of federal Parliament.

But a defiant Mr Kelly - who increased his margin by 0.5 per cent to 9.9 per cent at the last poll - has declared he is confident of again having the support of both the Liberal Party and the local constituents at the next election.

Mr Kelly, a climate change sceptic, frequently promotes the use of drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19 on his widely shared Facebook page. This is despite local and global health authorities stating they do not help treat the disease.

The MP's outspoken advocacy for the medically unproven treatments are a growing headache for Scott Morrison, particularly as Australia prepares to begin vaccinating the population, with Labor demanding the Prime Minister rebuke Mr Kelly.

Ahead of a federal election tipped for the second half of 2021 Mr Kelly, first elected in 2010, could face another challenge from would-be Liberal candidate Kent Johns to retain pre-selection for the seat.

Mr Johns, a Liberal moderate, has previously planned to stand against Mr Kelly but interventions from three successive prime ministers - Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and then Scott Morrison - have blocked him.

At the same time a ginger group of local activists, We Are Hughes, are also searching for a candidate to stand against Mr Kelly.

Local Liberals the Sun-Herald and Sunday Age spoke to expect Mr Johns to stand against Mr Kelly, barring an intervention from Liberal Party head office. Former Sutherland Shire mayor Carmelo Pesce, who has also been discussed as a potential candidate, is said to be unlikely to throw his hat in the ring.

A NSW Liberal MP, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity so they could discuss internal party deliberations, said it was unlikely the prime minister would again intervene to save Mr Kelly, who is said to lack the rank-and-file numbers to win preselection this time.

"It should be a normal preselection. He's never had the numbers other than when he was first pre-selected," the MP said.

"People have become immune to what he says on climate change, it's just Craig being Craig, but his comments on the Capitol riots [in Washington DC] shocked people."

"His comments on COVID-19 are really damaging, it's like having Pete Evans in the party room."

Mr Evans is a celebrity chef who has questioned the efficacy of mask wearing and vaccines. His Facebook page was deactivated last year for sharing misinformation about COVID-19.

Mr Kelly said that every MP had to re-apply for their job at every election. "Since I've been outspoken defending traditional Liberal party values there is no doubt that many from the green left will try and run a targeted campaign against me".

Another Liberal familiar with the party's internal discussions about Hughes said Mr Kelly's outspoken ways and frequent posting of fringe medical theories - the MP often posts three or four times per day to his nearly 90,000 followers on the topic - had angered not just the moderate faction but also sections of the party's centre right and hard right factions.

"No one knows why he is doing what he is doing."

Mr Kelly described the We Are Hughes group as "fake independents - they are the remnants of the Greens that see their best chance as trying to trick the electorate by disguising themselves as independent".

But Linda Seymour, one of the organisers of the group, said it was a grassroots movement focused on on doing politics differently. They hope to find a strong candidate, similar to independent MP Zali Steggall who managed to unseat Mr Abbott in Warringah at the 2019 federal election.

"In Hughes we have no representation, we have Craig Kelly off on his own crusade. Irrespective of whether you're Labor or Liberal you haven't been represented in our seat," she said.

Pre-selection for NSW Liberal Party lower house seats has not yet begun.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/Pete-Evans-in-the-party-room-liberals-independents-line-up-to-take-on-craig-kelly-20210129-p56xwf.html

#12773018 at 2021-01-31 01:44:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

#12 - Part 17
Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide - Part 1
>>12089065 Video: QAnon Anonymous - We were given exclusive access to a 'QAnon Anonymous' meeting - for people addicted to insane conspiracy theories - The Shovel
>>12142346 As churches prove 'fertile ground' for conspiracy theories, some pastors are taking a stand - Joey Watson - abc.net.au
>>12233485 How conspiracy theories led 'fringe scientist' Jenny D'Ubios to escape Perth hotel quarantine - Harriet Alexander - theage.com.au
>>12238610 Year in a word: QAnon - Rumours of a cabal of satanic sex traffickers plotting to overthrow the US president shifted from far-right fringes to the mainstream - Courtney Weaver - ft.com
>>12238610 Video: Is QAnon a game gone wrong? - Financial Times
>>12339980 Anti-vaxxers are now as big a threat as climate deniers - Both like to phrase their denialism as 'questioning' - Tory Shepherd - theaustralian.com.au
>>12362512 QAnon Is Trumpism Now - The sprawling conspiracy theory is dying-and being reborn as the new normal of the Republican Party - Justin Ling - foreignpolicy.com
>>12371920 Elise Thomas Tweet: This is profoundly sad. QAnon may be ridiculous, but it is not a joke. We will probably never know how many lives have been ruined because of it
>>12393910 Victorian Liberal MP Bernie Finn posts Trump election conspiracy theories to Facebook - Elias Clure - abc.net.au
>>12393996 Video: Victorian Liberals condemn pro-Trump conspiracy theories posted by colleague Bernie Finn

>>12395291 QAnon and the storm of the U.S. Capitol: The offline effect of online conspiracy theories - Marc-André Argentino - theconversation.com
>>12395383 Qanon cultists believe the final showdown between light and darkness is upon us - David Aaronovitch - theaustralian.com.au
>>12417065 OPINION: From QAnon to climate denial, Australia has a 'Ratbag Government' - Michael Pascoe - thenewdaily.com.au
>>12422286 Video: Brisbane Police crack down on residents not wearing masks on their way to illegal protest in CBD
>>12461541 Explainer: What is QAnon? How a wild conspiracy theory led to the storming of the US Capitol - Emily McPherson - 9news.com.au
>>12477018 'QAnon Shaman' demanding organic food in jail after US Capitol arrest - 9News Staff - 9news.com.au
>>12477097 Amazon is removing products promoting the QAnon conspiracy - Jonathan Shieber - au.finance.yahoo.com
>>12477345 Twitter suspends 70,000 QAnon accounts - AAP - thewest.com.au
>>12477449 OPINION: Sydney MP Craig Kelly's job is to represent Hughes but he's pushing manic fringe craziness instead - Jenna Price - smh.com.au
>>12478538 Bill Shorten Tweet: The Trump v. Twitter stoush is a good reminder that not everything you read on the internet is true - 'QAnon conspiracy rubbish'

>>12495910 Opinion: QAnon and 'Stop the Steal' rioters will be in a world of hurt as the law crashes down on them - Nicholas Grossman - marketwatch.com
>>12512250 Why the far-right and white supremacists have embraced the Middle Ages and their symbols - Helen Young - theconversation.com
>>12512278 US Capitol riot: the myths behind the tattoos worn by 'QAnon shaman' Jake Angeli - Tom Birkett - theconversation.com
>>12546801 Pete Evans: Neo-Nazis plotted to move in on the celebrity chef - Jane Hansen - dailytelegraph.com.au
>>12559331 Trump followers who stormed Capitol could have had a mass psychosis - Jamie Seidel - news.com.au
>>12559710 'Peddlers of hate': Australia's growing legion of far-right extremists hail US Capitol invaders - Cait Kelly - thenewdaily.com.au
>>12559872 Go-to platform for neo-Nazis and QAnon attracts new users after Twitter, Parler purge - Ellen Whinnett - couriermail.com.au
>>12599033 Video: Could the conspiracy theory QAnon and those that follow it be active in Canberra? - ABC Radio CANBERRA / Mornings with Adam Shirley
>>12622910 Ghislaine Maxwell court hearing disrupted by apparent QAnon followers - Victoria Bekiempis - theguardian.com
>>12623240 Avril Haines, pick for national intelligence director, says she'll help with a public threat assessment of QAnon - Julian E. Barnes - nytimes.com

#12772903 at 2021-01-31 01:35:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

#12 - Part 9
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>12114182 Scathing hotel quarantine report exposes failures by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, ministers and public servants
>>12114198 PDF: Victorian COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry - Final Report and Recommendations - Volumes 1 and 2
>>12118382 More transmissible strain of COVID-19 brought into Australia by UK travellers, NSW Health has confirmed
>>12143488 Facebook permanently removes Pete Evans' page after he repeatedly breached misinformation policies with posts about the coronavirus
>>12154945 Video: Australia signs deals to distribute tens of millions of coronavirus vaccine doses around the country
>>12155727 Video: Lieutenant General Frewen - COVID-19 Taskforce message - Department of Defence Australia
>>12202375 International celebrities still call Australia home after COVID closed borders - Tom Hanks, Zac Efron, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Mark Wahlberg
>>12202755 Canberra considers axing Victorian government research agreement with China's Jiangsu province
>>12203088 Chinese trade sanctions continue - Beijing bans timber from NSW and Western Australia claiming it had found "live forest pests" in earlier shipments
>>12219435 Video: First case of 'more contagious' South African coronavirus strain detected in Australia

>>12233968 Video: Greg Norman praises Donald Trump, Scott Morrison after detailing harrowing COVID-19 battle
>>12322724 Scott Morrison: Anthony Albanese's demand for rapid rollout of COVID vaccine 'very dangerous'
>>12367956 Scott Morrison: COVID-19 vaccination on track to start in February
>>12408044 Kylie Moore-Gilbert Tweet: Rev guards' obsession with peddling conspiracy theories starts at the very top. Supreme leader bans entry of UK and US-made covid vaccines, because he "doesn't trust them"
>>12408044 Kylie Moore-Gilbert Tweet: There's no need for a vaccine at all really, as this covid thing's just a conspiracy
>>12422286 Video: Brisbane Police crack down on residents not wearing masks on their way to illegal protest in CBD
>>12439588 Liberal MP Craig Kelly attacks Facebook for warning him over unproven Covid treatment post
>>12439937 Monica Smit and 'Reignite Democracy Australia' - How an anti-mask firebrand fans the right's flames against Dan Andrews online
>>12494947 Malcolm Turnbull slams Scott Morrison for failing to take tough line with MPs promoting "dangerous" crackpot COVID-19 cures
>>12495681 Video: Pete Evans' podcast dumped from Spotify for spreading misinformation about coronavirus

#12076496 at 2020-12-18 08:06:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

#11 - Part 21
Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide
>>11419240 Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon Are Flooding the Zone With Hunter Biden Conspiracies - Nick Aspinwall - foreignpolicy.com
>>11419284 "There is a concerning nexus developing between anti-CCP conspiracy theories and other conspiracy theories like QAnon" - Elise Thomas - ASPI
>>11419724 Chinese fugitive Guo Wengui 'spread Biden-China claim to impact US election' - Linda Lew and Sarah Zheng - scmp.com
>>11420342 NSW police officer probe over COVID-19 virus letter, "Cops for Covid Truth" - Serene Teffaha / Advocate Me - illawarramercury.com.au
>>11424088 Elise Thomas Tweet: If Trump loses, does fictional Q go with him or stay working with the Deep State?
>>11431413 Aubrey Cottle, Founder of hacktivist group Anonymous is trying to take down far-right cult QAnon - Freya Noble - 9news.com.au
>>11447533 Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who endorsed QAnon, wins uncontested seat of Georgia in US election - "Wires" - abc.net.au
>>11493958 Video: David Duchovny on the election, his new anti-Trump single, and if Fox Mulder would join QAnon - Yahoo Entertainment - sports.yahoo.com

>>11494091 The unchecked disinformation pandemic driving America to the edge - Australian media is playing a central role too - David Hardaker - crikey.com.au
>>11511392 As QAnon Copes With Trump's Likely Loss, They Wonder Where Q Is - Justin Ling - foreignpolicy.com
>>11511803 Sister of QAnon booster Tim Stewart says he's old friends with Prime Minister Scott Morrison - Ellen Whinnett - dailytelegraph.com.au
>>11538465, >>11538491 Elise Thomas Tweets: QAnon taking the news with all the calm, aplomb and good grace which you would expect
>>11588316 'Trust The Plan': Qanon Followers React To Trump's Defeat - 'helplessness and confusion' - Eden Gillespie - sbs.com.au
>>11621287 'Freedom Movement': Why people are still protesting despite the easing of lockdown rules - Chloe Booker and Bianca Hall - theage.com.au
>>11621700 US election: How QAnon conspiracy is driving Donald Trump army - Rohan Smith - news.com.au
>>11634847 In the United States, QAnon is struggling. The conspiracy theory is thriving abroad - Emily Rauhala and Loveday Morris - washingtonpost.com

>>11664950 Pete Evans Is Now Posting Neo-Nazi Symbols And The Far-Right Love It - Cam Wilson - gizmodo.com.au
>>11665064 Pan Macmillan Australia Tweet: Pan Macmillan is currently finalising it's contractual relationship with Pete Evans
>>11677795 Video: Facebook apologises to Australian MP Anne Webster, falsely accused by conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer of being in 'paedophile network'
>>11687680 Dumped by sponsors, what happens to Pete Evans now? - Karl Quinn and Broede Carmody - smh.com.au
>>11763253 Australia's electoral system isn't immune to US-style conspiracy theories - Elise Thomas - aspistrategist.org.au
>>11810264 Video: Original "Anonymous" Hacker Aubrey Cottle Wants To Destroy QAnon - yahoo news - November 27, 2020
>>11868137, >>11868149 Don't listen to Donald Trump's delusions, they aren't yours to bear - JACK THE INSIDER (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>11946187 Freedom Day Cairns: Founder Michael Sims slams QAnon conspiracy theory - Pete Martinelli - cairnspost.com.au
>>12048650 Pete Evans Has Gone Full QAnon By Dropping Pedophilia Accusations Against CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper On Facebook

#12076403 at 2020-12-18 07:46:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

#11 - Part 8
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>11420342 NSW police officer probe over COVID-19 virus letter, "Cops for Covid Truth" - Serene Teffaha / Advocate Me - illawarramercury.com.au
>>11422845 Coronavirus: Dozens arrested at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest
>>11588706 Coronavirus: Vaccine rollout for five million Aussies tipped for March
>>11603585 Video: Anthony Fauci says working with Trump Administration on coronavirus has been 'very stressful' - ABC News In-depth
>>11623123 Victoria's top health bureaucrat Kym Peake resigns following coronavirus hotel quarantine inquiry
>>11623384 Australia will share its COVID plan with incoming Biden administration
>>11623384 PDF: Australian Government - Department of Health - National Contact Tracing Review - November 2020
>>11651658 'F**king idiot': Melbourne doctor roasts Pete Evans over new COVID-19 comments

>>11676574 Compulsory vaccination at Goodstart Early Learning in Gladstone, Queensland faces legal challenge
>>11676660 CSL plans to build $1.8bn vaccine factory in Melbourne's north
>>11738960 Morrison pushes G20 for global access to vaccine; Trump says he's here to stay
>>11762085 Australians are 'winning' coronavirus fight, Health Minister Greg Hunt says
>>11792496 Vaccine, quarantine or no entry for overseas arrivals: Prime Minister Scott Morrison
>>11829920 Anthony Fauci has applauded Australia's use of lockdowns - Australia leads on Covid, says Anthony Fauci
>>11978765 University of Queensland's Australian COVID vaccine terminated due to HIV 'false positives'
>>12017586 Victoria's contact tracing system was unfit for purpose during coronavirus second wave, parliamentary inquiry finds

#11 - Part 9
George Papadopoulos Tweets, Alexander Downer and SPYGATE Revelations
>>11420723 Downer was too sloppy and I had to report him to US authorities who foolishly notified me downer was in on it
>>11420723 Matt Bevan Tweet: OK but how does him writing an opinion piece in a national newspaper in favour of Trump fit into that?
>>11420723 His actions in 2016 have a big impact on himself and the US-Australia relationship in 2020
>>11420723 Matt Bevan Tweet: Writing an op-ed in favour of Trump to try and save himself from the people investigating him for spying. Got it.
>>11535230 I have never seen so many triggered people. I mean, you "won", right?
>>11535230 The crash is going to be brutal

>>11570888 Alexander Downer Tweet: @realDonaldTrump should concede gracefully. He's lost.
>>11571040 Video: Alexander Downer: Joe Biden will be a 'ceremonial president' - Sky News Australia
>>11587588 The world is watching
>>11605184 The UK and Australia were working against the campaign and sending operatives. They are now working to block declassification
>>11665184 Remember "Ambassador Downer"? He will become a household name once they drop the documents
>>11734733 It's going to be biblical

#12048650 at 2020-12-16 08:42:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11687680
Pete Evans Has Gone Full QAnon By Dropping Pedophilia Accusations Against A CNN Anchor On FB

Cam Tyeson - December 16, 2020

Despite loudly declaring that he would be shutting his page down, thereby leaving the platform for good, Pete Evans has not only been on a Facebook posting tear across the past 24 hours, but has now fully enmeshed himself in blatant QAnon posting by dabbling in the movement's oft-pedalled and deeply bizarre pedophilia accusations.

Evans, in earnest, never actually left Facebook at all, despite stating that he was going to back on November 20th.

Over the course of December, Evans has posted in excess of 200 times to his Facebook page, which maintains a following of just under 1.5 million people.

One post today has risen above the rest as particularly noteworthy, as it shows Evans, now free of the limitations posed by his remaining corporate contracts, fully embracing QAnon posting, heavily inferring baseless claims of pedophilia against CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

The line of thought connecting Cooper to QAnon's accusations has tenuous links to anything based in reality, and is rooted in the same conspiracy-laden nonsense that lead to the infamous Pizzagate incident.

That unrestricted style of posting is notable, as QAnon and QAnon-related posts were put in the firing line by Facebook back in October. The baseless, and frequently ridiculous, movement has been classified as a domestic terrorist threat by the FBI in the US, although no such official classification has been officially disclosed by any Australian law enforcement body.

Regardless, Evans' furious posting on Facebook paints a picture of a man who spends practically every waking moment entrapped in an online bubble of lies, dangerous misinformation, and shameless self-promotion.

A cursory glance of his feed reveals 212 posts have been made to the Chef Pete Evans page on Facebook in December, with the frequency breakdown as follows:

- December 1st: 8 posts
- December 2nd: 8 posts
- December 3rd: 10 posts
- December 4th: 13 posts
- December 5th: 16 posts
- December 6th: 15 posts
- December 7th: 15 posts
- December 8th: 16 posts
- December 9th: 12 posts
- December 10th: 12 posts
- December 11th: 15 posts
- December 12th: 12 posts
- December 13th: 8 posts
- December 14th: 21 posts
- December 15th: 19 posts
- December 16th: 12 posts (so far)

Contained within are an increasingly unhinged pile of pandemic-related memes, anti-vaccination and pseudo-science rhetoric, smug grandstanding, and shilling for products from the barest of bare few companies that maintain a working relationship with him.

Interestingly enough, of those 212 posts, just seven have been flagged by Facebook's vaunted fact-checking program as being either false or misleading.

The ones flagged as false remain active, but place a disclaimer curtain across the post that people can easily click through.

However the ones merely labelled "misleading" or "missing context" are barely touched; a banner warning is placed below the post, but not in such a way that it is immediately recognisable upon first viewing.

Across December, Evans had one post flagged by Facebook on the 1st, two on the 7th and two again the following day, and one each on the 9th and 13th.

Despite repeatedly sharing material that Facebook's own internal systems have been flagging as either false or misleading, Evans appears to have suffered no restrictions or consequences from the platform. As his posting frequency clearly shows, he is quite free to post literally what he wants, when he wants.

That Facebook seemingly doesn't see any of this - from a verified page with a follower count nearing 1.5 million - as much of a problem is, you've gotta say, extremely bloody concerning.

https://www.pedestrian.tv/online/Pete-Evans-qanon-anderson-cooper-cnn/


>https://qanon.pub/#344

>https://qanon.pub/#1894

>https://qanon.pub/#1901

>https://qanon.pub/#4163

#11687696 at 2020-11-18 02:13:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11687680

2/2

But just as with Donald Trump breaking free of his relationship with Fox News, Evans being dumped by the "mainstream" may allow him to emerge in a different form.

"It's a new world for Pete Evans, and he's had a tough 24 hours," said celebrity agent Max Markson, who knows Evans but does not have a professional relationship with him. "But on the other side, he now has the opportunity to build his own media empire, where he could be more powerful than he's ever been."

Markson points to Evans' evolvenetwork.tv, the multimedia platform where, for $10 a month or $100 a year, subscribers get lifestyle advice and recipes. He also points to his social media following of "over two million".

"As we've seen with Trump, there's a whole new world and he is at the beginning of it, it will be his crusade," said Markson. "He no longer needs mainstream media - he can do all this on his own, doing what he loves, what he believes in.

"The people he talks to are not mainstream, they're in their own world. It's almost like there's a parallel world, an alternative reality."

In Evans' world, vaccination is to be avoided, COVID-19 is a conspiracy, and bone broth is a good substitute for breast milk for babies. He has worn MAGA hats, reposted QAnon posts, and hinted at conspiracies in high places.

In April he was fined $25,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration after claiming a $14,000 "BioCharger" device could help protect people against coronavirus. The following month Seven cut him loose from his $800,000 My Kitchen Rules contract due to cost-cutting and the show's ratings decline. In September, he hosted conspiracy theorist David Icke for a two-hour chat on his podcast.

New Zealand journalist David Farrier has been tracking the rise of conspiracy theories in the wake of coronavirus, and the grip they have on sections of the so-called wellness community. He believes it can be explained in part by a combination of open-mindedness to alternative views and suspicion of the mainstream, which goes well beyond health and diet to much broader concerns.

And while Evans' time in the mainstream may be over - for now at least - Farrier doesn't think it's the last we'll see of Evans, by a long shot.

"He's incredibly self-aware and I think he's seen that the more outrageous the things he posts, the more attention he gets, the more followers he gets. Being deplatformed just turns him into a martyr.

"I'd say it's a fork in the road for him," Farrier adds. "His mainstream days are over but I don't think it's the end of him in any way.

* The Black Sun (schwarze Sonne) variant of the sonnenrad was first used as a floor mosaic in Wewelsburg Castle, which was taken over by the Nazis at the instigation of Heinrich Himmler in 1934 for use as a headquarters and training centre for the SS.

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/dumped-by-sponsors-what-happens-to-Pete-Evans-now-20201117-p56f7j.html

#11687680 at 2020-11-18 02:12:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11664950
>>11665064
Dumped by sponsors, what happens to Pete Evans now?

1/2

As many of Pete Evans' lucrative media and sponsorship deals evaporated within the space of 24 hours this week, it was easy to imagine it might be the last we would see of a man who has morphed from mainstream television star to polarising diet, health and lifestyle prophet before our eyes.

"I don't think he has a place in public life in Australia," said Jennie Hill, founder of feminist activist group Mad F–king Witches, and one of the instigators of a swift and successful campaign against the former My Kitchen Rules host this week. "I think that disqualifies you from having a voice."

Despite his increasingly controversial views, Evans was still a highly bankable brand until on Monday he shared a cartoon image of a butterfly whose wing pattern was in the form of a "sonnenrad" (black sun), an ancient Norse symbol that has been appropriated by neo-Nazis in recent years*.

As criticism flooded in, Evans deleted the post, apologised and said he was ignorant of the significance of the symbol, which also adorned the backpack of the Australian terrorist who killed 51 people in the Christchurch mass shootings last year. However, screenshots captured by others and shared on social media show him responding to someone asking if it was a black sun by saying, "I was waiting for someone to see that".

Evans did not respond to requests for comment. Late on Tuesday, Evans posted a video on Facebook in response to media reports: "The fact that I had to actually Google what neo-Nazi meant is pretty telling so I just want to tell you this once, and one time only, it is completely untrue, unfactual and a load of garbage."

"Anybody that knows me knows I stand for long-term sustainable health for all humanity. I don't think there is anything else I need to say, except for peace," he said.

By then, though, the damage was done. First to distance themselves was Pan Macmillan, the publisher of Evans' cookbooks, which announced it was "finalising its contractual relationship" with him. Retailers were invited to contact the publisher if they wished to return any of his books.

Then Ten dumped him from I'm a Celebrity… Get me Out of Here! Though the network would not confirm Evans' casting, or his dumping, a source close to the Byron Bay-based chef said he had only emerged from quarantine this week, and had been due to start shooting on Tuesday. Ten is believed to still be liable for Evans' fee, which is rumoured to be in the $100,000 to $200,000 range.

Then came the sponsors, and the retailers who carry Evans-associated product lines: Big W, Dymocks, Woolworths, House, Coles. Cookware brand Baccarat panned Evans, and coconut water brand Raw C - which was "both horrified and saddened by the religious and anti-Semitic undertones" of the post - revealed it had already decided it would no longer shell out to be associated with Evans.

As boycott campaigns go it was, in the words of Jennie Hill, "short and sharp, and successful".

"I think it was just a step too far," she said. "There was all this stuff that people knew was horrible and weird and not right before, but then the Nazi thing, it just went bang."

(continued)

#11665064 at 2020-11-16 06:36:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11664950
Pan Macmillan Australia Tweet

"Pan Macmillan does not support the recent posts made by Pete Evans. Those views are not our views as a company or the views of our staff.

Pan Macmillan is currently finalising it's contractual relationship with Pete Evans and as such will not be entering any further publishing agreements moving forward.

If any retailer wishes to return Pete Evans' books please contact Pan Macmillan."

https://twitter.com/MacmillanAus/status/1328210258829840385

#11664950 at 2020-11-16 06:20:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11651658
Pete Evans Is Now Posting Neo-Nazi Symbols And The Far-Right Love It

Cam Wilson - November 16, 2020

Australia's leading conspiracy theorist and celebrity chef Pete Evans has continued to promote more and more extreme views by intentionally posting a cartoon on social media with a Neo-Nazi symbol worn by the Christchurch terrorist.

On Sunday evening, Pete Evans posted a cartoon to his millions of followers on Facebook and Instagram. The cartoon features a caterpillar wearing a Make America Great Again hat speaking to a butterfly featuring the Black Sun symbol - also known as the sonnenrad or sunwheel.

It's an ancient symbol appropriated by the Nazis, and now associated with Neo-Nazis according to the Anti-Defamation League, a anti-hate organisation. In recent times, it featured on the Christchurch terrorist's rucksack and manifesto.

When a commenter on Evans' Facebook page asked about it, he confirmed he knew the symbol.

"The symbol on the butterfly is a representation of the black sun lol," one person wrote.

"I was waiting for someone to see that," Evans' account replied.

Later, Evans responded to another user on Instagram saying that he sees the "the caterpillar as colourful and at peace whereas the butterfly embodies darkness and perhaps shadow [...] Or you can look at it as something completely different."

A reverse Google image search reveals that the meme was also published this week on a Nordic Neo-Nazi website. It's not clear whether it was posted before or after Evans shared the cartoon.

The post has also been shared in far-right online groups and on white supremacist social media accounts.

Gizmodo has chosen not to name these websites, groups and accounts due to their hateful nature.

While Evans has long been promoting anti-vaccine beliefs and other health misinformation, he's come under fire this year for posting increasingly fringe and extreme conspiracy theories including COVID-19 denialist and QAnon content.

Since leaving My Kitchen Rules, Evans has promoted an essential oils multi-level marketing scheme and a Byron Bay 'healing clinic' while continuing to publish recipe books.

His publisher Pan Macmillan defended its decision to publish his work earlier this year despite his promotion of conspiracy theories and anti-public health views.

Evans and Pan Macmillan have been approached for comment.

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2020/11/Pete-Evans-is-now-posting-neo-nazi-symbols-and-the-far-right-love-it/

#11651658 at 2020-11-15 05:22:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

'F**king idiot': Melbourne doctor roasts Pete Evans over new COVID-19 comments

A Melbourne doctor has lashed out at celebrity chef and coronavirus conspiracy theorist Pete Evans over his latest comments.

Alex Turner-Cohen - NOVEMBER 15, 2020

A Melbourne doctor has lashed out at celebrity chef and coronavirus conspiracy theorist Pete Evans over his latest spat of comments about COVID-19.

Dr Vyom Sharma, a GP and medical commentator, said Evans was a "f**king idiot" in an explosive tweet yesterday.

It came after the former My Kitchen Rules star suggested the virus didn't exist.

"Is that what we've come here to do. Do we have the belief in ourselves that we're contagious, that we are spreaders of something?" Pete Evans was filmed saying during a video interview.

"I choose not to believe in that narrative because it doesn't make any sense to me."

The interviewer then asked Evans if he was concerned that his choice to ignore medical advice could spread the virus to more vulnerable people.

Evans was unperturbed by the question. After scoffing and snorting, he said "it doesn't spread the virus."

Evans has hogged the media spotlight throughout the pandemic with similarly outrageous comments, ranging from the virus being a brainwashing exercise by the government to claims a $15,000 lamp could cure people of COVID-19.

He became famous after being a judge on the Channel 7 reality cooking show. But some of his advice has caused health experts to be sceptical of him long before he voiced his coronavirus conspiracy theories.

But after Evans' latest escapade, Dr Sharma thought enough was enough.

"'I choose not to believe that narrative because it doesn't make any sense to me' - that is the literal Merriam Webster dictionary definition of 'f***ing idiot'," Dr Sharma posted with a link back to the original video.

"Einstein's theory of special relativity makes no sense to me.

"But I believe the narrative because I know there are people out there who are smarter than me, and know more things. And hence I rely on my GPS when driving."

Many were with the Melbourne GP.

"Imagine being this guy's school teacher. 'I chose not to believe the 2+2=4 narrative because it doesn't make any sense to me'," one person commented.

"Is he really denying that people have become seriously ill and died in huge numbers across the globe after contracting COVID-19? This is akin to me caring for a palliated patient, and refusing to acknowledge they are dying," said a Melbourne woman.

It's not the only controversy Pete Evans has courted this week.

Shoppers have called for Coles and Pan Macmillan, two companies that Evans currently works for, to boycott his products.

https://twitter.com/drvyom/status/1327472783731769344

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/fing-idiot-melbourne-doctor-roasts-Pete-Evans-over-new-covid19-comments/news-story/06c1203a5b3946152ba6f1ca6df1fc72

#11415064 at 2020-11-02 23:35:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

#10 - Part 17
Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide - Part 2
>>10994082 Web of hate: how COVID fuels QAnon and other right-wing extremists in Australia - Margot Saville - crikey.com.au
>>11002977 Video: Chef Pete Evans Instagram Post - Listen to every word spoken. New world order and homes are now dangerous (NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard)
>>11048103 QAnon is tearing families apart - Travis M. Andrews - washingtonpost.com
>>11062798 'The Feed' Tackle How To Talk To Your QAnon-Obsessed Friend In This Painfully Real Sketch - Jared Richards - junkee.com
>>11062798 Video: Comedy: Dealing with your QAnon friend - Freudian Nip - The Feed SBS
>>11080829 Video: Monologue: The real appeal of QAnon - QAnon isn't about believing conspiracies, it's about helping to create them - Alex Lee / The Feed SBS
>>11099206 YouTube follows Twitter and Facebook with QAnon crackdown - Associated Press - 9news.com.au
>>11099206 Video: Qanon Conspiracy - Nine Weekend Today Show - Rebecca Maddern interviews former Facebook Australia CEO Stephen Scheeler
>>11100067 Trump talks QAnon and Biden talks pandemic at duelling town hall QandAs - Matthew Knott and Farrah Tomazin - smh.com.au
>>11110804 Australian Jitarth Jadeja went down the QAnon rabbit hole for two years. Here's how he got out - Bronte Lord and Richa Naik - cnn.com
>>11110863 Video: Ex-QAnon believer, Australian Jitarth Jadeja breaks his silence. How he escaped the viral cult - CNN

>>11111509 Expert on QAnon says the movement's claims are 'all bull sh–' - Ellen Whinnett - goldcoastbulletin.com.au
>>11111966 Dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory spread by celebs including Roseanne Barr, James Woods and Pete Evans - Alahna Kindred - thesun.co.uk
>>11148357 TikTok Tightens Crackdown On QAnon, Will Ban Accounts That Promote Disinformation - Bobby Allyn - npr.org
>>11148943 QAnon is more than a conspiracy - Naomi Levin - aijac.org.au and Daily Telegraph, October 19 2020, p.19
>>11172586 'Vector of influence': Labor grills officials about QAnon family friend of Scott Morrison - Katharine Murphy - theguardian.com
>>11185584 Australia hasn't seen an outbreak of outrage about the PM's QAnoner buddy. But it should - Tory Shepherd - adelaidenow.com.au
>>11185681 Further Questions Emerge Over PM's Friend And Qanon Conspiracy - Eden Gillespie - sbs.com.au
>>11196185 Despite Reports, FBI Does Not Label QAnon Group a 'Terrorist Threat' - Marisa Sullivan - celebmagazine.com
>>11196206 Acting DHS chief says QAnon not a 'significant' threat but condemns the group - Devan Cole - cnn.com
>>11206227 I know a marriage killed by QAnon and Trump, with help from alienation - Matt Dooley - theguardian.com
>>11206404 Magda Szubanski targeted by coordinated 'avalanche of hate' from rightwing extremists over Covid mask ad - Josh Taylor - theguardian.com

>>11206758 Removing QAnon accounts is not the answer - Alexandra Tselios - theaustralian.com.au
>>11229239 Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre tweeted QAnon slogans just before new Ghislaine Maxwell evidence is due to be unsealed - Alexandra Ma - insider.com
>>11245205 Australian Jitarth Jadeja: How I fell into a terrifying conspiracy theory wormhole on YouTube - James Cook and Morgan Meaker - telegraph.co.uk
>>11262138 Australian Jitarth Jadeja: He's a former QAnon believer. He doesn't want to tell his story, but thinks it might help - Travis M. Andrews - washingtonpost.com
>>11354270 QAnon QLD: How has QAnon wormed its way into the Queensland state election? - Pete Martinelli - cairnspost.com.au
>>11354364 Facebook heeds Holocaust message - "QAnon has been associated with antisemitism" - Naomi Levin - aijac.org.au
>>11354815 How a fake persona laid the groundwork for a Hunter Biden conspiracy deluge - Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny - nbcnews.com
>>11354834 "Elise Thomas, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, first spotted telltale signs of a fake photo when she went searching for Typhoon Investigations"
>>11354873 Q Post #4936 - https://www.baldingsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/KVBJHB.pdf
>>11383789 Children feature in COVID-19 and QAnon conspiracies, but these just most recent examples of a 'very old, powerful fear' - Ariel Bogle and Jane Lee - abc.net.au

#11414926 at 2020-11-02 23:28:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

#10 - Part 6
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>10715840 Coronavirus Australia: Victorian Chief Health Officer slams COVID-19 conspiracies
>>10729349 Six fined, two arrested over Chadstone anti-lockdown flash mob
>>10753335 Video: Alyssa Milano's long haul COVID-19 battle | 60 Minutes Australia
>>10765988 Tom Hanks is out of quarantine as filming begins on Elvis biopic on the Gold Coast
>>10793570 Scott Morrison urges sharing of COVID-19 vaccine in his United Nations speech
>>10807158 James Woods Tweet: This cruelty is so vile I can't stand it. This happened to thousands of lost and bewildered elderly
>>10807158 Heartbreaking video - Elderly woman in medical care prevented from embracing her son due to COVID-19 restrictions
>>10858774 Hope for hydroxychloroquine: Melbourne scientists at Walter & Eliza Hall Institute back trial

>>10867218 Video: Unmasked: Inside Australia's Coronavirus Lockdown Resistance | 7NEWS Spotlight - Jeff Kennett red shoes at 13:49
>>10889695 Coronavirus: rush to publish may irreversibly harm patients
>>10896404 Qld deputy premier Steven Miles 'wishes Donald Trump well' after disinfectant quip
>>10960895 Victoria's Daniel Andrews to scrap controversial detention powers in bid to pass Covid omnibus bill
>>10973858 President Trump Tweet: A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! (Regeneron - "I call that a cure")
>>10973858 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals evaluating "antibody cocktail" REGN-COV2 - potential to treat people with COVID-19
>>10974034 Regeneron Tweet: Our statement on the White House compassionate use request for our investigational monoclonal antibody cocktail
>>10974221 Regeneron's antibody cocktail REGN-COV2 rapidly reduced viral load and associated symptoms in infected COVID-19 patients

>>11002977 Video: Chef Pete Evans Instagram Post - Listen to every word spoken. New world order and homes are now dangerous (NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard)
>>11127935 Pandemic linked to rise of conspiracy theories - Riccardo Bosi does not align himself with QAnon
>>11127991 New 25km bubble as Premier reveals lockdown rules for Victoria
>>11229568 Remdesivir, the virus treatment given to Trump, gets formal US approval
>>11243745 Re-elected Trump will prioritise reducing global reliance on China - Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger
>>11243851 Video: The Importance of Being Candid: China's Relationship with the Rest of the World - Matt Pottinger - PolicyExchangeUK
>>11300995 Bill Gates: This is when we'll have a Covid-19 vaccine - "Early next year" - "We won't be back to normal"
>>11339862 Video: Dr Fauci praises Australia's coronavirus response and Melbourne's face mask rules

#11414552 at 2020-11-02 23:09:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#10 - Part 17
Qanon / Conspiracy Theory Hit Pieces, Australia and Worldwide - Part 2
>>10994082 Web of hate: how COVID fuels QAnon and other right-wing extremists in Australia - Margot Saville - crikey.com.au
>>11002977 Video: Chef Pete Evans Instagram Post - Listen to every word spoken. New world order and homes are now dangerous (NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard)
>>11048103 QAnon is tearing families apart - Travis M. Andrews - washingtonpost.com
>>11062798 'The Feed' Tackle How To Talk To Your QAnon-Obsessed Friend In This Painfully Real Sketch - Jared Richards - junkee.com
>>11062798 Video: Comedy: Dealing with your QAnon friend - Freudian Nip - The Feed SBS
>>11080829 Video: Monologue: The real appeal of QAnon - QAnon isn't about believing conspiracies, it's about helping to create them - Alex Lee / The Feed SBS
>>11099206 YouTube follows Twitter and Facebook with QAnon crackdown - Associated Press - 9news.com.au
>>11099206 Video: Qanon Conspiracy - Nine Weekend Today Show - Rebecca Maddern interviews former Facebook Australia CEO Stephen Scheeler
>>11100067 Trump talks QAnon and Biden talks pandemic at duelling town hall QandAs - Matthew Knott and Farrah Tomazin - smh.com.au
>>11110804 Australian Jitarth Jadeja went down the QAnon rabbit hole for two years. Here's how he got out - Bronte Lord and Richa Naik - cnn.com
>>11110863 Video: Ex-QAnon believer, Australian Jitarth Jadeja breaks his silence. How he escaped the viral cult - CNN

>>11111509 Expert on QAnon says the movement's claims are 'all bull sh–' - Ellen Whinnett - goldcoastbulletin.com.au
>>11111966 Dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory spread by celebs including Roseanne Barr, James Woods and Pete Evans - Alahna Kindred - thesun.co.uk
>>11148357 TikTok Tightens Crackdown On QAnon, Will Ban Accounts That Promote Disinformation - Bobby Allyn - npr.org
>>11148943 QAnon is more than a conspiracy - Naomi Levin - aijac.org.au and Daily Telegraph, October 19 2020, p.19
>>11172586 'Vector of influence': Labor grills officials about QAnon family friend of Scott Morrison - Katharine Murphy - theguardian.com
>>11185584 Australia hasn't seen an outbreak of outrage about the PM's QAnoner buddy. But it should - Tory Shepherd - adelaidenow.com.au
>>11185681 Further Questions Emerge Over PM's Friend And Qanon Conspiracy - Eden Gillespie - sbs.com.au
>>11196185 Despite Reports, FBI Does Not Label QAnon Group a 'Terrorist Threat' - Marisa Sullivan - celebmagazine.com
>>11196206 Acting DHS chief says QAnon not a 'significant' threat but condemns the group - Devan Cole - cnn.com
>>11206227 I know a marriage killed by QAnon and Trump, with help from alienation - Matt Dooley - theguardian.com
>>11206404 Magda Szubanski targeted by coordinated 'avalanche of hate' from rightwing extremists over Covid mask ad - Josh Taylor - theguardian.com

>>11206758 Removing QAnon accounts is not the answer - Alexandra Tselios - theaustralian.com.au
>>11229239 Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre tweeted QAnon slogans just before new Ghislaine Maxwell evidence is due to be unsealed - Alexandra Ma - insider.com
>>11245205 Australian Jitarth Jadeja: How I fell into a terrifying conspiracy theory wormhole on YouTube - James Cook and Morgan Meaker - telegraph.co.uk
>>11262138 Australian Jitarth Jadeja: He's a former QAnon believer. He doesn't want to tell his story, but thinks it might help - Travis M. Andrews - washingtonpost.com
>>11354270 QAnon QLD: How has QAnon wormed its way into the Queensland state election? - Pete Martinelli - cairnspost.com.au
>>11354364 Facebook heeds Holocaust message - "QAnon has been associated with antisemitism" - Naomi Levin - aijac.org.au
>>11354815 How a fake persona laid the groundwork for a Hunter Biden conspiracy deluge - Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny - nbcnews.com
>>11354834 "Elise Thomas, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, first spotted telltale signs of a fake photo when she went searching for Typhoon Investigations"
>>11354873 Q Post #4936 - https://www.baldingsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/KVBJHB.pdf
>>11383789 Children feature in COVID-19 and QAnon conspiracies, but these just most recent examples of a 'very old, powerful fear' - Ariel Bogle and Jane Lee - abc.net.au

#11414132 at 2020-11-02 22:49:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#10 - Part 6
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic, Australia and Worldwide
>>10715840 Coronavirus Australia: Victorian Chief Health Officer slams COVID-19 conspiracies
>>10729349 Six fined, two arrested over Chadstone anti-lockdown flash mob
>>10753335 Video: Alyssa Milano's long haul COVID-19 battle | 60 Minutes Australia
>>10765988 Tom Hanks is out of quarantine as filming begins on Elvis biopic on the Gold Coast
>>10793570 Scott Morrison urges sharing of COVID-19 vaccine in his United Nations speech
>>10807158 James Woods Tweet: This cruelty is so vile I can't stand it. This happened to thousands of lost and bewildered elderly
>>10807158 Heartbreaking video - Elderly woman in medical care prevented from embracing her son due to COVID-19 restrictions
>>10858774 Hope for hydroxychloroquine: Melbourne scientists at Walter & Eliza Hall Institute back trial

>>10867218 Video: Unmasked: Inside Australia's Coronavirus Lockdown Resistance | 7NEWS Spotlight - Jeff Kennett red shoes at 13:49
>>10889695 Coronavirus: rush to publish may irreversibly harm patients
>>10896404 Qld deputy premier Steven Miles 'wishes Donald Trump well' after disinfectant quip
>>10960895 Victoria's Daniel Andrews to scrap controversial detention powers in bid to pass Covid omnibus bill
>>10973858 President Trump Tweet: A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! (Regeneron - "I call that a cure")
>>10973858 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals evaluating "antibody cocktail" REGN-COV2 - potential to treat people with COVID-19
>>10974034 Regeneron Tweet: Our statement on the White House compassionate use request for our investigational monoclonal antibody cocktail
>>10974221 Regeneron's antibody cocktail REGN-COV2 rapidly reduced viral load and associated symptoms in infected COVID-19 patients

>>11002977 Video: Chef Pete Evans Instagram Post - Listen to every word spoken. New world order and homes are now dangerous (NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard)
>>11127935 Pandemic linked to rise of conspiracy theories - Riccardo Bosi does not align himself with QAnon
>>11127991 New 25km bubble as Premier reveals lockdown rules for Victoria
>>11229568 Remdesivir, the virus treatment given to Trump, gets formal US approval
>>11243745 Re-elected Trump will prioritise reducing global reliance on China - Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger
>>11243851 Video: The Importance of Being Candid: China's Relationship with the Rest of the World - Matt Pottinger - PolicyExchangeUK
>>11300995 Bill Gates: This is when we'll have a Covid-19 vaccine - "Early next year" - "We won't be back to normal"
>>11339862 Video: Dr Fauci praises Australia's coronavirus response and Melbourne's face mask rules

#11111992 at 2020-10-17 02:47:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>11111966

2/3

James Woods

James Woods has also been said to spread QAnon theories.

In April 2018, the actor tweeted: "I'm holding back my thoughts on #Q. Let's see where the wind blows."

On October 6, James tweeted an old video of Former First Lady Michelle Obama praising Harvey Weinstein.

The video was from 2013, before the #MeToo movement and before Weinstein's actions were widely known.

It follows the common trope of QAnon supporters of identifying Democrats as "sharing a bed" with sex abusers.

Pete Evans

Celebrity chef Pete Evans shared a video from a press conference about the US President spoke about QAnon supporters on his Instagram with popcorn emojis.

In May, the Australian also put up an Instagram story that mirrors language used by believers of the conspiracy theory, Buzzfeed reported.

The post included a chart with dozens of references to parts of the theory including a prominent "Q".

(continued)

#11111527 at 2020-10-17 02:07:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>11111509

2/2

In recent months social media companies including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have purged thousands of QAnon accounts, while online retailer Etsy says it will no longer sell QAnon merchandise.

But Dr Ross said the groups were getting around the ban by setting up new accounts and using new hashtags to spread the word, including save the children, white rabbit, rabbit, truth and 17 (the letter Q is 17th in the alphabet).

"They're undermining the Government, the media, claiming Dan Andrews is lying, WHO is full of rubbish,'' she said.

Dr Ross said QAnon had been gathering pace in the US since 2017, propped up by anti-vaxxers.

"The anti-vaccine community is massive, it's well funded in America and persistent in Australia,'' she said.

She said the "Pastel Q'' or "Butterfly Q'' crowd, such as wellness influencers, had now jumped on the QAnon bandwagon, having realised they had an audience eager to hear their anti-vaccine claims.

Dr Ross said not all anti-authority types supported QAnon - anarchists, for example, stayed well away and had not been involved in the anti-lockdown rallies in Melbourne.

But she said the result of the activities of QAnon believers was a divisive political debate, not based in science, which actively sought to undermine government, the media, and science.

"The most corrosive thing is they don't trust science, they don't trust scientists, they have a low digital literacy and think doing their own research is watching a few YouTubes,'' she said.

Dr Ross said the "children in the tunnels'' false reports showed how "people have been overcome by conspiracy thinking.''

"People feel like they're free to make up their own minds. Do your own research is one of their slogans,'' she said of QAnon.

But Dr Ross said viewing a few clips on YouTube from like-minded conspiracy theorists did not show a high degree of digital literacy, and just reinforced the conspiracy theory.

"It's all bullshit, obviously,'' she said of QAnon's claims.

"They don't trust. They think they're being lied to.''

Anti-vaxxer celebrity chef Pete Evans, recently mused on his Instagram page about having discussions involving "Q", and mentioned Dr Ross in a post after she criticised him in the media. She was then targeted by his supporters who sought her out online.

Dr Ross said the fact the organisers of several anti-lockdown protest rallies in Melbourne had their social media accounts disabled by police had further agitated some QAnon promoters, who believed they had been silenced.

"The Q thing has been smashed actually,'' she said.

"It moved to (encrypted app) Telegram and became a leaderless movement.''

She said people in Australia appeared to be drawn to QAnon in 2020 "because people want to make something out of a pretty shit year.

"What does Q promise? That there's a plan, and don't worry, Trump has a plan. Some people genuinely believe God is working through Trump.''

Dr Ross said the QAnon followers were not dangerous, but had taught people to follow conspiracy theories and "it has had a corrosive influence on social cohesion.''

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/national/expert-on-qanon-says-the-movements-claims-are-all-bull-s/news-story/05a9455c5b93c613f77a1fe1aec52dd4

#11002977 at 2020-10-09 21:25:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10983540
Chef Pete Evans Instagram Post

Listen to every word spoken. New world order and homes are now dangerous

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGEY7wtBj9l/

#10983540 at 2020-10-08 17:52:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Australian wellness celeb 'Paleo Pete' fuels 'infodemic'

Andrew Beatty / Andrew Leeson / Johnny Lieu / with Tania Lee in Melbourne - Thursday, October 8, 2020

1/2

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - One minute Australian "wellness" personality Pete Evans is posting a barbecued prawn recipe to 1.5 million Facebook followers, the next he's claiming the coronavirus pandemic is an elaborate global hoax.

During this year of crisis, the ever-smiling, one-time television chef known as "Paleo Pete" has become a leading purveyor of conspiracy and pseudoscience Down Under.

The pandemic has seen a worldwide explosion of misinformation with anti-vaccination groups, the far right, libertarians, state-backed trolls and anarchists forging a loose coalition of the disgruntled.

An unlikely mix of celebrities, wellness experts and social media influencers like Evans have become a powerful vector in that "infodemic".

While government scientists give earnest daily briefings, Evans turns to social media to question lockdowns and rubbish the use of facemasks.

The content is often up-beat - appearing in a wetsuit with blue eyes beaming, riffing about the joys of being back surfing after injury. He signs off emails with the signature: "Cook with Love and Laughter!"

But his most popular content is often recycled from U.S. conspiracy theories.

These posts prompt long threads that echo QAnon movement talking points, claiming a "plandemic" manufactured crisis by global elites to enforce lucrative mass vaccinations and control humanity.

A post of Anthony Fauci, who has led the U.S. government's response to every epidemic since the 1980s, being questioned over a potential Covid-19 vaccine was a particular hit for Evans.

The post attracted over half a million views and a blizzard of conspiratorial comments against vaccinations and traditional government rule.

According to data from social media tracker CrowdTangle, Evans' reach has increased since the pandemic began, growing by up to 15,000 users a week, rather than the net loss he often used to see.

"People are searching for answers," said Mathew Marques, a lecturer in Social Psychology at La Trobe University. "You've got, I guess, charlatans and snake oil salesmen offering a cure."

Evans denies trafficking in lies, and denounces what he calls "fear-based propaganda."

"The pandemic is a hoax. It is as simple as that" he told AFP, claiming that wearing masks and social distancing "are in fact damaging our immune system."

"The reason we have become the number one selling health and lifestyle author in this country is because what we share actually keeps people healthy."

(continued)

#10965892 at 2020-10-07 17:43:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10960694
Facebook's QAnon ban omits high-profile Australians linked to conspiracy theory

Pages and groups deleted but individual accounts - like Pete Evans' profile - left untouched

Christopher Knaus, Josh Taylor, and Michael McGowan - Oct 2020

High-profile Australians linked to QAnon will remain untouched by Facebook's crackdown on the conspiracy theory because the ban does not extend to individual posts, the social media giant has conceded.

But experts say Facebook's announcement overnight that it would significantly escalate attempts to combat misinformation on the site by removing "any Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts representing QAnon" would still deal a massive blow to proponents of the conspiracy theory.

QAnon-linked groups based in Australia have already been caught up in the purge. By Wednesday morning, a number of Australian groups boasting tens of thousands of members had been deleted. Experts who monitor conspiracy theory content in Australia say that while they have reservations about Facebook's approach the ban is having a major impact.

Facebook's ban is targeted at pages and groups that directly represent QAnon. Many groups with names or descriptions suggesting a dedication to the conspiracy theory have been removed.

The ban is not targeted at individual posts, or profiles or accounts that may disseminate QAnon material but are not solely devoted to it.

That decision has left several high-profile Australian pages unaffected by the ban, something experts warn will limit its effectiveness.

For example, Facebook said it had no intention of removing the profile of Pete Evans, the celebrity chef who routinely posts material sympathetic to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

"When they take down Pete Evans' Instagram, then I'll believe they're serious," said Kazz Ross, a University of Tasmania expert in conspiracy theories and the far right. "That is the litmus test."

Other Australian groups, including "99% Unite Worldwide" and "Rise Up For Children Australia & NZ - Operation Underground Railroad", remain active.

The 99% group, which has helped organise many of the protests held in Melbourne throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, shares QAnon material but is not exclusively dedicated to it. Rise Up for Children shares QAnon content but represents itself as a legitimate movement to save children from paedophilia.

Ross said the ban was having a major impact on the broader QAnon following in Australia.

But she said Facebook's characterisation of QAnon as "militant" was an over-reach and described the ban as a "blunt tool" which would simultaneously harm innocent users and miss much of the content being shared across the platforms.

"I think the ban will have a massive effect and I think it is going to piss a lot of people off who are by-catch," Ross told Guardian Australia.

The ban would probably drive hardcore believers to other platforms, such as Telegram, which were harder to monitor and attracted more dangerous extremists, including neo-Nazis. It would also further cement conspiratorial beliefs, Ross said.

"They're just waiting for the 10 days of darkness when the internet goes down. They're waiting for that, 'Oh look here we are, it's more proof.' It's the conspiratorial thinking they have that nothing is a coincidence, everything has meaning and purpose."

The ban's chief impact would be on those half-interested in QAnon, who weren't dedicated enough to be bothered making a shift elsewhere. The ban was also likely to help reduce general exposure to the broader public.

But Axel Bruns, the head of Queensland University of Technology's digital media research centre, said Facebook had acted far too late.

QAnon has risen from the fringes of forums including 4Chan to become one of the most popular conspiracy theories on Facebook and Instagram, helped in part by Facebook recommendation algorithms that put it in front of anti-vaccine, Trump campaigners and wellness communities.

"It's certainly a positive step, yes, but it's also a step that is several years too late in many ways," Bruns told the Guardian.

"The hardcore of QAnon isn't necessarily on Facebook, it's obviously operating out of a number of other platforms, where the Q drops themselves have been happenings, and where many people are actively coordinating and organising and so on."

Bruns said the ban was "almost certainly" going to be circumvented by followers who would change their language to avoid monitoring.

"I think the real question is whether Facebook will continue to monitor this and trace and track them to wherever they go now," he said.

"If you have the page admins of the existing Q pages, are they now setting up new pages, are they now creating the new groups and so on? Is Facebook actually monitoring that?"

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/oct/07/facebooks-qanon-ban-omits-high-profile-australians-linked-to-conspiracy-theory

#10866345 at 2020-10-01 07:04:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10866340

2/3

The conspiracy theory also predicts the arrest of high-level officials for sex trafficking crimes. Again, resourceful Australian QAnon followers have adapted that narrative for their home turf. One Facebook post seen by TIME (falsely) alleged that Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been under house arrest since January. The evidence? Blurry, close-up photos of Morrison wearing long pants, which appear to have either bunched up or been folded at the ankle and supposedly prove the Australian leader is wearing an ankle monitor.

Similar (false) rumors have also circulated using pictures that show Victoria Premier Dan Andrews walking down the street. Andrews, who has faced heavy criticism from the right for weeks-long coronavirus lockdowns this summer, features heavily in posts on QAnon-affiliated pages.

At a rally in New Zealand in early September, protesters referenced multiple COVID-19 conspiracy theories, according to local reports. But demonstrators have also woven in local causes. Some protesters were seen holding signs calling to "ban 1080," a reference to the government's use of poison to control populations of invasive rodents (the cause has been supported by some mainstream groups in recent years, but has been fodder for conspiracy theorists.) At least one protester was spotted with a sign that depicted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as Adolf Hitler.

One social media post in May claimed that Bill Gates was in New Zealand and asserted that the country of 5 million is a "perfect" nation "to test and trial" a vaccine for the coronavirus. (A spokesperson for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said Gates had not been in New Zealand.)

And combining QAnon's American roots with local feelings often meshes in inconsistent ways. For example, many Australian QAnon-affiliated accounts are highly critical of Australian police, who have used tough responses to enforce COVID-19 restrictions. Those posts are often shared alongside rightwing U.S. media articles praising American officers.

Social media companies respond

Despite its presence at protests, QAnon really thrives online, and it gained a substantial foothold in Australia and New Zealand during COVID-19 lockdowns. One Facebook group started in Australia, comprising a mix of people denying the existence of the coronavirus, anti-vaxxers, so-called sovereign citizens and QAnon supporters, had more than 65,000 members before it was removed by the social media giant.

"You put marginalized people under pressure and fear and they look for non-mainstream and unorthodox theories to regain their sense of control and agency," says Michael Grimshaw, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

The conspiracy theories-and opposition to coronavirus restrictions in general-remain at the fringes in both nations. A recent Pew poll shows that 94% of Australians think the country did a good job handling the pandemic (the same poll reported that only 47% of Americans felt the same way). An August poll found that public confidence in health officials in New Zealand was above 80%.

But misinformation is increasingly bleeding over into the mainstream. Australian television chef Pete Evans-who has 275,000 Instagram followers-has posted QAnon-related content on Instagram in recent months. In New Zealand, a lifestyle influencer with more than 60,000 followers posted in support of QAnon claims in her Instagram story. "There's soooooo much I want and need to address on here. But I'm going to start slowly and it will start with Hollywood, Cabal and Human Trafficking," she said in one Instagram story. "People may think why? That's America it has nothing to do with us. In the big scheme of things it has EVERYTHING to do with us. All you need to do is research Jacinda Ardern and her ties with Bill Gates..."

Both Facebook and Twitter say they're taking action against QAnon-related content. Twitter announced in late July a stronger approach to dealing with QAnon, including permanently suspending accounts that violate its policies, banning URLs associated with QAnon from being shared on the site, limiting content from its trends and recommendations and not highlighting it in searches.

Facebook said in August it had removed 790 groups, 100 pages and 1,500 ads tied to QAnon and other groups it said support violence and blocked more than 300 hashtags across Facebook and Instagram worldwide. The company says that QAnon pages, groups and accounts will be removed when they violate Facebook's community standards, including inciting violence. The company also said it will limit some content from recommendations and the ranking of this content will be lower in News Feed.

(continued)

#10804221 at 2020-09-27 01:04:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10804202

2/4

The emergence of 'pastel QAnon'

PhD researcher Marc-André Argentino, of Canada's Concordia University, coined the term "pastel QAnon" to describe the phenomenon of lifestyle and wellness influencers adopting QAnon narratives with a soft and pleasing aesthetic, making audiences more susceptible.

He says it's the polar opposite of "raw" QAnon, which began on controversial internet forums 4chan, 8chan and 8kun.

"To an extent [influencers] are making QAnon more palatable as your initial contact with it is not the cesspool that is 8kun with its racism, anti-semitism and pornography, rather it is coming from an influencer that many of their followers already trust for their lifestyle, medical and fitness advice," Argentino says.

His research shows there was an initial wave of influencers falling into QAnon between March and May when it overlapped with anti-vaxxer or anti-mask narratives, propelled by the viral 'Plandemic' video peddling health misinformation.

Argentino says the second wave occurred when QAnon hijacked the hashtag #SaveTheChildren during child trafficking awareness month in July, drawing many influencers - because who doesn't care about children?

'Ripe' for conspiracy thinking

Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer Dr Timothy Graham views wellness as "a real pivotal point" in QAnon's evolution.

"There's this normalisation of QAnon and a rebranding of it as an oppressed underdog movement that is really trying to get to the truth," Graham says.

Khalil says it's not entirely surprising that QAnon latched onto wellness.

"There is a history within the wellness community which has been anti-establishment, very sceptical of big pharma, so the QAnon conspiracies tend to feed into that."

Hollo agrees, believing wellness was "ripe" for QAnon's entry as many in the space are open to exploring alternative therapies and views. It's why anti-vaxxer sentiment is so rife in this realm.

"Yoga and wellness people are very open-minded, so they can easily go down the rabbit hole," Hollo says.

Adding to this, QAnon has also co-opted certain sayings or hashtags that will resonate with the community. #TheGreatAwakening is one of the group's main hashtags and followers often talk about "waking up to the truth", which are common phrases in new age spirituality practices such as yoga and meditation.

"It's basically making a conspiracy that is so outlandish become something that is part of your own awakening and awareness journey," Khalil says.

Derek Beres is an LA-based fitness instructor and co-host of the podcast Conspirituality, which launched in May to discuss how conspiracies seeped into the wellness world. Australians make up the podcast's second largest listener base after the US.

"This whole QAnon phenomenon is speaking to very base fears that exist in a lot of people, especially people who consider themselves to be more consciously minded," Beres says.

He adds that social distancing has harmed the connection communities generally lean on in difficult times.

"All we have are these screens that we're looking at all day. I think that added layer makes conspiracy theories proliferate in a way I know I've never experienced in my life," Beres says.

"It's a lot easier to spread fear and paranoia than it is to spread credible scientific research."

Beres and his co-hosts curate a list of wellness industry figures who have shared QAnon-related content.

Celebrity paleo chef Pete Evans gets a mention after sharing posts that express QAnon ideas. Evans, a Trump supporter, has been vocal about being against compulsory vaccination and masks, suggesting the pandemic is a scam and railing against Daniel Andrews and the media. Of course, just because Evans has posted material that supports some QAnon rhetoric does not mean he supports all of the movement's ideas, including its central beliefs, or that he identifies as part of the movement.

The tone of Evans' social media intensified after he was axed by Channel Seven in May, and despite sharing some controversial ideas, Crowdtangle data shows interactions on his Facebook account skyrocketed by about 1000 per cent between April and June, and continue to be significantly higher than before. On Instagram his following has grown by almost 20 per cent since May.

When The Age and Sydney Morning Herald approached Evans to comment on his QAnon stance, he replied with "Who is Q?" and hours later, he shared a post referring to "the great awakening" and reposted screenshots of posts appearing to be from "Q".

(continued)

#10706277 at 2020-09-19 08:40:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10706267

3/4

Craig Kelly denies spreading 'dangerous disinformation'

As the pandemic stretches on, no one has walked the line between criticising the Victorian government and openly nodding to this audience like Craig Kelly. He has long been known for speaking to the beliefs of his party's right flank, and has made a career out of mocking climate change "exaggeration", denying its link to last summer's bushfires and accusing the Bureau of Meteorology of falsifying weather data.

But the Liberal party backbencher has expanded his repertoire during the Covid-19 pandemic to include advocacy for the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine in treating Covid-19, a campaign against what he calls "health bureaucrats", and a barrage of criticism against the Victorian government. In videos for an online streaming site called the Cave, Kelly has called for the removal of Daniel Andrews from office, saying Victoria was "being run by a megalomanic [who is] getting his totalitarian kicks out of keeping 5m people in captivity".

Founded by Australian filmmaker Simon Hunter, the executive director of the Sydney Film School, the Cave also promotes videos from the likes of Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens and Gavin McInnes, the founder of the far-right Proud Boys group.

Kelly's tireless online campaigning has undoubtedly found him a new and thriving audience. His Facebook following has grown by almost 37% since June, and of Australia's federal MPs only the prime minister, Scott Morrison, has enjoyed more "interactions" on posts shared to the social media site. Kelly's posts are also regularly among the most shared social media posts on the site from Australia.

His posts are regularly shared by groups associated with both the far right and individuals connected to the ever-mutating conspiracy movement. Earlier this month, the US conspiracy theorist and anti-vaxxer David "Avocado" Wolfe encouraged his 16,000 Telegram subscribers (he has more than 12m followers on Facebook) to sign a petition supporting Kelly over his advocacy for hydroxychloroquine.

Similarly, in August, the former celebrity chef Pete Evans shared a speech by Kelly promoting the drug to his 1.5m Facebook followers. Evans regularly posts favourably about a range of discredited ideas including risks of 5G exposure, while platforming anti-vaxxers and pushing content aligned to Qanon.

Hydroxychloroquine, which has also been pushed by Donald Trump, has been shown to be ineffective and potentially harmful when used to treat the virus. The Therapeutic Goods Administration, the federal health body responsible for evaluating and approving medicines for use in Australia, recommends the drug not be used to treat Covid-19 outside of clinical trials and has restricted its use outside of the conditions for which it is approved.

The acting chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, has said simply that "it doesn't work".

Kelly's advocacy for the drug has prompted significant criticism. Last month the shadow health minister, Chris Bowen, accused Kelly of spreading "dangerous disinformation" for continuing to push the use of the drug, and the usually staid deputy chief health officer Nick Coatsworth has rebuked his advocacy for it. "I think Australians are very clear which Kelly should be listened to in Covid-19, and that is Paul Kelly," he previously said.

In an interview with Guardian Australia, Kelly denied engaging in misinformation, saying he was not intimately familiar with online conspiracy theory groups including QAnon. In online videos, he's also railed against criticism he has received for promoting hydroxychloroquine, accusing the media of "implying I was engaging in peddling conspiracy theories, defunct facts [and] dangerous facts. All I've been doing is reporting what the medical experts are saying around the world".

(continued)

#10705292 at 2020-09-19 06:01:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#9 - Part 14
Qanon "Conspiracy Theory" Hit Piece Bun - Part 3
>>10575345, >>10575371 The 'highly sophisticated' religious movement trying to brainwash Australians - Cait Kelly - thenewdaily.com.au
>>10575371 Twisting the truth: ongoing inauthentic activity promoting Falun Gong, the Epoch Times and Truth Media targets Australians on Facebook - Elise Thomas - ASPI
>>10586831 Twitter permanently suspends QAnon account belonging to friend of Australian PM for 'harmful activity' - Christopher Knaus and Josh Taylor - theguardian.com
>>10587482 Video: How should the media cover conspiracies like QAnon? | The Drum - ABC News (Australia) - Ruby Cornish
>>10614940 Michael McGowan Tweet: WA Liberal Party MP Andrew Hastie is joining the - partly Qanon driven - outrage about new Netflix program Cuties
>>10614940 Lyle Shelton Facebook Post: I'm on WA Liberal MP Andrew Hastie's email list. This is what he sent out this afternoon. What a champion
>>10625463, >>10625496 QAnon spreads across globe, shadowing COVID-19 - Chris Mills Rodrigo - thehill.com
>>10625663 Celebrity chef Pete Evans 'health coach' title under fire from AMA - Jane Hansen - geelongadvertiser.com.au
>>10628572 Elise Thomas Tweet: There are already at least 3 other sites providing basically the same service Qmap did
>>10628753 The Project Tweet: QAnon is the rapidly growing conspiracy movement that defies all logic, and it's spreading online like wildfire
>>10628757, >>10628926 Video: Why Is QAnon Spreading So Rapidly? | The Project
>>10641237, >>10641248 What lies beneath: tunnels for trafficking, or just a subterranean service? Time to rescue these spaces from the conspiracists - Victoria Kolankiewicz - theconversation.com

>>10641391, >>10641398 'Unholy Alliance': Conspiracy Theorists Are Circulating Russian And Chinese Disinformation About Covid-19 On Social Media - Eden Gillespie - sbs.com.au
>>10641442, >>10641446 Disaster planners warn conspiracy theories pose a security threat - Anna Patty - smh.com.au
>>10654596 Elise Thomas Tweet: QAnon's rapid advance into wellness and spiritual community groups has been one of the striking features of the conspiracy explosion we've seen during this pandemic
>>10654596 Elise Thomas Tweet: @_MAArgentino has done great work on 'Pastel QAnon' and the shift in aesthetic of this particular tentacle of the QAnon
>>10654596 Elise Thomas Tweet: The trend away from QAnon's more traditional hashtags to more ambiguous hashtags like (#)Savethechildren as documented by @Shayan86 is likely to contribute as well
>>10654599 Elise Thomas Tweet: The Australian conspiracy scene is downstream from the MAGA-binfire and the US conspiracy industry…So many "real Aussie patriots" praying for Trump to save them
>>10664744 Ben Lee Joins Fight Against Batshit QAnon Conspiracy: "I've Been In A Cult Before" - Emmy Mack - musicfeeds.com.au
>>10664744 Ben Lee Tweet: Hi QAnon I've been in a cult before and from experience I can see you are one love Ben
>>10664744 Ben Lee Tweet: If you are a QAnon believer, I'd like to gently suggest picking up the book "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Steven Hassan
>>10664744 Ben Lee Tweet: For the record, I'm a big NO to conspiracy theories, spiritual/self-help gurus, racism, paranoia and unchecked capitalism. Have a nice day!
>>10679652 Elise Thomas Tweet: Ironically, the Qanon movement is beginning to damage real anti-child trafficking efforts, including flooding hotlines with bogus reports

#10705276 at 2020-09-19 05:59:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#9 - Part 12
Qanon "Conspiracy Theory" Hit Piece Bun - Part 1
>>10122782, >>10122790 QAnon: The online cult that is a danger in the real world - David Aaronovitch - theaustralian.com.au
>>10137641 Nine News Australia Tweet: Conspiracy theories involving a child sex-trafficking ring, a pizzeria and Hillary Clinton has gained momentum
>>10137641 A baseless US conspiracy theory found a foothold in Europe. New research shows how - 9news.com.au
>>10158806 >>10158815, >>10158815, >>10158821, >>10158830 QAnon Has Gone Global - Mack Lamoureux - vice.com
>>10167571, >>10167576 Under the influence: Peddling conspiracy in a pandemic - Lydia Khalil - The Interpreter / Lowy Institute
>>10251170, >>10251173 Reddit community QAnon Casualties share stories of conspiracy cult - Jack Gramenz - news.com.au
>>10269756, >>10269765 QAnon followers are hijacking the #SaveTheChildren movement - Kevin Roose - New York Times
>>10273883, >>10282908 Bizarre, yes. Crazy, maybe. But the media ignores QAnon at our peril - Jack the Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>10291603 Video: President Donald Trump dodged questions Friday about his thoughts on QAnon during a White House briefing - Associated Press
>>10302798 >>10302822, How the QAnon Conspiracy Theory Went Global - Masood Farivar - voanews.com

>>10315622 Elise Thomas Tweet: Some QAnon conspiracists in Melbourne believe the US Army is helping to secretly excavate the tunnels full of abused children under the city
>>10325970, >>10326000 Someone Made A New Bananapants 'Satanic Pedo Cabal' QAnon Pizza Map, Looks Legit - Robyn Pennacchia - wonkette.com
>>10355349 'People that love our country': Donald Trump praises QAnon conspiracists - newdaily.com.au
>>10355898 Former Australian Idol winner Natalie Gauci promotes bizarre and baseless conspiracy theories - Demeter Stamell - dailymail.co.uk
>>10368701 Facebook's latest purge of QAnon conspiracy theory pages unlikely to affect growing Australian following - Christopher Knaus - theguardian.com
>>10368701 Marc-André Argentino Tweet: Australian Q research board...lerge (sic) focus on pedophilia in Australia and in the Catholic Church
>>10368701 Genesis of a Conspiracy Theory: Key trends in QAnon activity since 2017 - Institute for Strategic Dialogue - Aoife Gallagher, Jacob Davey & Mackenzie Hart
>>10368986 Qantas denies it's part of flying conspiracy after disturbing Freemason and NWO symbols spotted on engines of national carrier plane
>>10396643 Ariel Bogle Twitter Thread: QAnon is filtering through Australia's existing conspiratorial communities
>>10396658, >>10396666, >>10396673 How the QAnon conspiracy theory is tearing family and friends apart in Australia - Ariel Bogle - abc.net.au

>>10411182, >>10411189 Why QAnon is attracting so many followers in Australia - and how it can be countered - Kaz Ross - theconversation.com
>>10423422 US Congress introduces resolution to condemn QAnon conspiracy theory - David Morgan - smh.com.au
>>10423457, >>10423468 QAnon looms behind child trafficking protests and viral #SaveOurChildren hashtags - Brandy Zadrozny & Ben Collins - 7news.com.au
>>10436350, >>10302822 The Global QAnon Conspiracy Theory - Voice of America / Learning English - Masood Farivar & Susan Shand
>>10436368 Liberal senator Gerard Rennick launches grenades at super. Labor senator Tim Ayres: "it feels like I'm sort of at a Qanon cell meeting"
>>10436448 Celebrity chef Pete Evans makes wild claims that Australia 'is run by paedophiles', reiterates QAnon conspiracy theory - Demeter Stamell - dailymail.co.uk
>>10450489 Elise Thomas Tweet: Through tempest, storm and darkest night, QAnon followers will.... sit inside their houses making memes
>>10456998 Australian MP takes on conspiracy theorist in court but experts don't know where to begin with online battle - Michael McGowan - theguardian.com
>>10457266 COVID conspiracy theorists declare 'digital warfare' on media - Noel Towell - theage.com.au
>>10466141, >>10466217 EXCLUSIVE: Despite Reports, FBI Does Not Label QAnon Group a 'Terrorist Threat' - Marisa Sullivan - celebmagazine.com

#10705047 at 2020-09-19 05:32:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#9 - Part 14
Qanon "Conspiracy Theory" Hit Piece Bun - Part 3
>>10575345, >>10575371 The 'highly sophisticated' religious movement trying to brainwash Australians - Cait Kelly - thenewdaily.com.au
>>10575371 Twisting the truth: ongoing inauthentic activity promoting Falun Gong, the Epoch Times and Truth Media targets Australians on Facebook - Elise Thomas - ASPI
>>10586831 Twitter permanently suspends QAnon account belonging to friend of Australian PM for 'harmful activity' - Christopher Knaus and Josh Taylor - theguardian.com
>>10587482 Video: How should the media cover conspiracies like QAnon? | The Drum - ABC News (Australia) - Ruby Cornish
>>10614940 Michael McGowan Tweet: WA Liberal Party MP Andrew Hastie is joining the - partly Qanon driven - outrage about new Netflix program Cuties
>>10614940 Lyle Shelton Facebook Post: I'm on WA Liberal MP Andrew Hastie's email list. This is what he sent out this afternoon. What a champion
>>10625463, >>10625496 QAnon spreads across globe, shadowing COVID-19 - Chris Mills Rodrigo - thehill.com
>>10625663 Celebrity chef Pete Evans 'health coach' title under fire from AMA - Jane Hansen - geelongadvertiser.com.au
>>10628572 Elise Thomas Tweet: There are already at least 3 other sites providing basically the same service Qmap did
>>10628753 The Project Tweet: QAnon is the rapidly growing conspiracy movement that defies all logic, and it's spreading online like wildfire
>>10628757, >>10628926 Video: Why Is QAnon Spreading So Rapidly? | The Project
>>10641237, >>10641248 What lies beneath: tunnels for trafficking, or just a subterranean service? Time to rescue these spaces from the conspiracists - Victoria Kolankiewicz - theconversation.com

>>10641391, >>10641398 'Unholy Alliance': Conspiracy Theorists Are Circulating Russian And Chinese Disinformation About Covid-19 On Social Media - Eden Gillespie - sbs.com.au
>>10641442, >>10641446 Disaster planners warn conspiracy theories pose a security threat - Anna Patty - smh.com.au
>>10654596 Elise Thomas Tweet: QAnon's rapid advance into wellness and spiritual community groups has been one of the striking features of the conspiracy explosion we've seen during this pandemic
>>10654596 Elise Thomas Tweet: @_MAArgentino has done great work on 'Pastel QAnon' and the shift in aesthetic of this particular tentacle of the QAnon
>>10654596 Elise Thomas Tweet: The trend away from QAnon's more traditional hashtags to more ambiguous hashtags like (#)Savethechildren as documented by @Shayan86 is likely to contribute as well
>>10654599 Elise Thomas Tweet: The Australian conspiracy scene is downstream from the MAGA-binfire and the US conspiracy industry…So many "real Aussie patriots" praying for Trump to save them
>>10664744 Ben Lee Joins Fight Against Batshit QAnon Conspiracy: "I've Been In A Cult Before" - Emmy Mack - musicfeeds.com.au
>>10664744 Ben Lee Tweet: Hi QAnon I've been in a cult before and from experience I can see you are one love Ben
>>10664744 Ben Lee Tweet: If you are a QAnon believer, I'd like to gently suggest picking up the book "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Steven Hassan
>>10664744 Ben Lee Tweet: For the record, I'm a big NO to conspiracy theories, spiritual/self-help gurus, racism, paranoia and unchecked capitalism. Have a nice day!
>>10679652 Elise Thomas Tweet: Ironically, the Qanon movement is beginning to damage real anti-child trafficking efforts, including flooding hotlines with bogus reports

#10704997 at 2020-09-19 05:28:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#9 - Part 12
Qanon "Conspiracy Theory" Hit Piece Bun - Part 1
>>10122782, >>10122790 QAnon: The online cult that is a danger in the real world - David Aaronovitch - theaustralian.com.au
>>10137641 Nine News Australia Tweet: Conspiracy theories involving a child sex-trafficking ring, a pizzeria and Hillary Clinton has gained momentum
>>10137641 A baseless US conspiracy theory found a foothold in Europe. New research shows how - 9news.com.au
>>10158806 >>10158815, >>10158815, >>10158821, >>10158830 QAnon Has Gone Global - Mack Lamoureux - vice.com
>>10167571, >>10167576 Under the influence: Peddling conspiracy in a pandemic - Lydia Khalil - The Interpreter / Lowy Institute
>>10251170, >>10251173 Reddit community QAnon Casualties share stories of conspiracy cult - Jack Gramenz - news.com.au
>>10269756, >>10269765 QAnon followers are hijacking the #SaveTheChildren movement - Kevin Roose - New York Times
>>10273883, >>10282908 Bizarre, yes. Crazy, maybe. But the media ignores QAnon at our peril - Jack the Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>10291603 Video: President Donald Trump dodged questions Friday about his thoughts on QAnon during a White House briefing - Associated Press
>>10302798 >>10302822, How the QAnon Conspiracy Theory Went Global - Masood Farivar - voanews.com

>>10315622 Elise Thomas Tweet: Some QAnon conspiracists in Melbourne believe the US Army is helping to secretly excavate the tunnels full of abused children under the city
>>10325970, >>10326000 Someone Made A New Bananapants 'Satanic Pedo Cabal' QAnon Pizza Map, Looks Legit - Robyn Pennacchia - wonkette.com
>>10355349 'People that love our country': Donald Trump praises QAnon conspiracists - newdaily.com.au
>>10355898 Former Australian Idol winner Natalie Gauci promotes bizarre and baseless conspiracy theories - Demeter Stamell - dailymail.co.uk
>>10368701 Facebook's latest purge of QAnon conspiracy theory pages unlikely to affect growing Australian following - Christopher Knaus - theguardian.com
>>10368701 Marc-André Argentino Tweet: Australian Q research board…lerge (sic) focus on pedophilia in Australia and in the Catholic Church
>>10368701 Genesis of a Conspiracy Theory: Key trends in QAnon activity since 2017 - Institute for Strategic Dialogue - Aoife Gallagher, Jacob Davey & Mackenzie Hart
>>10368986 Qantas denies it's part of flying conspiracy after disturbing Freemason and NWO symbols spotted on engines of national carrier plane
>>10396643 Ariel Bogle Twitter Thread: QAnon is filtering through Australia's existing conspiratorial communities
>>10396658, >>10396666, >>10396673 How the QAnon conspiracy theory is tearing family and friends apart in Australia - Ariel Bogle - abc.net.au

>>10411182, >>10411189 Why QAnon is attracting so many followers in Australia - and how it can be countered - Kaz Ross - theconversation.com
>>10423422 US Congress introduces resolution to condemn QAnon conspiracy theory - David Morgan - smh.com.au
>>10423457, >>10423468 QAnon looms behind child trafficking protests and viral #SaveOurChildren hashtags - Brandy Zadrozny & Ben Collins - 7news.com.au
>>10436350, >>10302822 The Global QAnon Conspiracy Theory - Voice of America / Learning English - Masood Farivar & Susan Shand
>>10436368 Liberal senator Gerard Rennick launches grenades at super. Labor senator Tim Ayres: "it feels like I'm sort of at a Qanon cell meeting"
>>10436448 Celebrity chef Pete Evans makes wild claims that Australia 'is run by paedophiles', reiterates QAnon conspiracy theory - Demeter Stamell - dailymail.co.uk
>>10450489 Elise Thomas Tweet: Through tempest, storm and darkest night, QAnon followers will…. sit inside their houses making memes
>>10456998 Australian MP takes on conspiracy theorist in court but experts don't know where to begin with online battle - Michael McGowan - theguardian.com
>>10457266 COVID conspiracy theorists declare 'digital warfare' on media - Noel Towell - theage.com.au
>>10466141, >>10466217 EXCLUSIVE: Despite Reports, FBI Does Not Label QAnon Group a 'Terrorist Threat' - Marisa Sullivan - celebmagazine.com

#10625663 at 2020-09-13 03:05:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Celebrity chef Pete Evans 'health coach' title under fire from AMA

His publishers Pan Macmillan call him the number one 'health coach' but the Australian Medical Association has taken aim at the claim, due to Pete Evans' increasing promotion of the most extreme anti-vaccine activists and his continual undermining of COVID-19 health measures.

The Australian Medical Association has taken aim at former celebrity chef Pete Evans and publisher Pan Macmillan for promoting Evans as "the number 1 selling Australian health" author.

The former My Kitchen Rules judge has firmly embedded himself in the anti-vaccine camp by proclaiming the likes of disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield, TV producer Del Bigtree and Robert F Kennedy Jr as "heroes".

Evans also said COVID-19 a "'f**king scam" and "social distancing will make you sicker and lower your immune system" in live posts last week. He has a new 'lifestyle' book out next month.

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said: "Pete Evans should stick to writing cookbooks and leave the health advice to people who have actually studied science and medicine at university, not via Google".

"If someone who compares COVID-19 to Barney the dinosaur and calls three of the most notorious anti-vaxxers 'heroes' can be 'Australia's leading health author', then I've still got a chance of running out for the West Coast Eagles in the grand final."

Evans has used his 1.5 million social media following, garnered through his mainstream media career as a television chef, to give a platform to the most extreme anti-vaccine campaigners of late, including Wakefield and Bigtree, the producers of Vaxxed, which perpetuates the thoroughly scientifically debunked, non-existent link between the measles mumps and rubella vaccine and autism.

Evans calls himself "pro safe" but his rhetoric is exclusively anti-vaccine, especially with regards to any future COVID-19 vaccine.

He also believes in the QAnon conspiracy that the world is run by Satan-worshipping paedophiles plotting to oust US president Donald Trump and that tech billionaire Bill Gates is behind a bizarre plot to depopulate the world through vaccination.

"It's ironic that his latest book is called Heal. It's hard to heal a baby with whooping cough, or a young adult with meningococcal disease, and you're certainly not going to do it with a $15,000 lava lamp, or by staring into the sun," Dr Khorshid said.

"You are only going to be able to do it by ensuring that enough people who can be vaccinated against preventable disease are vaccinated, to protect those who can't."

Evans recently opened the Evolve Health Lab in Byron Bay that sells "bio-hacking" through arctic chambers and light machines.

Pan Macmillan, which describes Evans as "the #1 selling Australian health and wholefood author" and "health coach" defended their commercial relationship.

"Pan Macmillan has had a successful publishing relationship with Pete Evans since 2014. The company has published 15 books of recipe and food-related content that is healthy, safe and nutritious," the company said in a statement to The Sunday Telegraph.

"These books have been bought in the hundreds of thousands by people who admire his food ethos and has led to him being Australia's No.1 selling Australian wholefood author for the past three years."

https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/celebrity-chef-Pete-Evans-health-coach-title-under-fire-from-ama/news-story/8206062a824c88fa216fa73c7fcba897

#10533251 at 2020-09-05 04:06:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10396658
>>10368701
QAnon is here to stay. Is it the future of our politics?

Some of the anti-lockdown mob won't even know what QAnon is, but will still recite its talking points. A global cabal. Fear of satanic elites. The world on the brink of a 'great awakening'.

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN - SEP 04, 2020

1/2

On Saturday the crazies may well be out in force. A loose coalition of lockdown opponents and COVID-19 truthers are set to rally around the country to mark "freedom day," despite a police crackdown and a number of pre-emptive arrests.

Some will claim COVID-19 is a hoax, no worse than the flu. Others will be worried about 5G towers. There'll be plenty of garden-variety anti-vaxxers and crunchy Byron Bay New Age types. And some will believe that US President Donald Trump is a messiah fighting to liberate the world from a Satanic cabal of paedophiles and child sex traffickers.

What began with an anonymous internet poster claiming to have top level US government "Q Clearance" dropping cryptic breadcrumbs on 4Chan has mushroomed into a sprawling conspiracy theory and millenarian doomsday cult. It's been classified as a potential domestic terror threat by the FBI. It's followers have committed murder.

In the world of QAnon, everyone from Hillary Clinton to Ellen deGeneres and Daniel Andrews are part of the satanic cabal. They're trafficking children and drinking their blood. Accelerated by social media, QAnon has expanded across the world. It's become a kind of mothership, the "big tent" conspiracy theory to which all others return.

Spend time around any of the anti-lockdown protests that have been sputtering across the country since March, and the QAnon talking points can't be missed. See #SaveTheChildren? That's QAnon. Paedophiles? QAnon. The "Great Awakening"? Also Q. Six months ago most Australians, outside the extremely online, would never have heard of QAnon. Now it's the tie that binds together a disparate constellation of anti-lockdown conspiracies.

And thanks to the pandemic, it may have broken into our politics for good.

QAnon with an Australian accent

Even before the pandemic, QAnon had been bubbling away just outside the political fringes, slowly closing in. As Crikey reported last year, one of Scott Morrison's closest family friends is a Q believer. At the recent Eden-Monaro byelection, an independent candidate with a QAnon-influenced social media history ran unsuccessfully.

It's started to pull in anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists - most prominently NRL WAG turned anti-vax influencer Taylor Winterstein and celebrity chef Pete Evans. But it's the pandemic that has truly turned it into the mothership.

"Look at any conspiracy theorist's Facebook, and you'll almost universally see that they've been 'Q-pilled' since March," University of Tasmania lecturer and online disinformation researcher Kaz Ross tells Crikey.

Some of the anti-lockdown mob won't even know what QAnon is, but will still recite its talking points - a global cabal, fear of paedophilic, satanic elites, the world on the brink of a "great awakening".

How did QAnon come to dominate Australia's conspiracy theory landscape so quickly? Ross says firstly, much like evangelical Christianity, QAnon tries to offer sense and cohesion during a seemingly apocalyptic time.

"We know that there's a turn to religion and to try and make meaning of distressing events. We've been through the horrendous bushfires, then on the back of that, we get the pandemic. It's all a bit Biblical."

QAnon has considerable overlap with centuries-old anti-Semitic conspiracies like the blood libel, which have been aggressively pushed out of the internet sewers by the alt-right in recent years.

And finally, there's the anti-vaxxer wellness types, who are highly Instagram literate, and adept at spreading junk science through social media. Once they started speaking the language of QAnon, those verbal queues - references to the "Great Awakening" and a "gathering storm" seeped into the anti-lockdown lexicon.

What's interesting is the way QAnon has flourished in Australia in the absence of a charismatic Trump-like figure, drawing in hippyish sorts who might've once ostensibly been on the political left.

(continued)

#10532745 at 2020-09-05 03:04:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10532738

2/3

Bruns was among a group of researchers who looked at conspiracy theories on Facebook that the virus was caused or exacerbated by 5G technology.

This had already led to mobile phone towers being attacked in Britain and the Netherlands in April.

The researchers found pre-existing conspiracy groups argued the coronavirus justified and proved their claims.

Anti-5G groups, for example, linked COVID-19 to the installation of the technology because Wuhan was one of several Chinese cities where early 5G trials took place.

Anti-vaccination groups claimed the pandemic was staged to introduce a mass vaccination program to bring the world population under control.

"These sort of people are already saying vaccines are population control instruments containing microchips," Bruns says. "The virus created a perfect storm for conspiracy theories."

The researchers found celebrities and social media fanned misinformation beyond established conspiracist communities.

Actor Woody Harrelson posted an article on Instagram - later deleted - that drew links between the virus outbreak in Wuhan and 5G installation there.

In Australia, former celebrity chef Pete Evans was fined $25,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration after he claimed a device known as a BioCharger, which claimed to replicate light, frequencies, harmonics, pulsed electromagnetic fields and voltage found in nature, could be used in relation to "Wuhan Coronavirus".

The TGA said this claim had no apparent foundation.

Conspiracy theorists also widely circulated Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly's claims that "groupthink" and the "complete abandonment of reason" were driving a "war" on hydroxychloroquine, a controversial treatment for COVID-19.

Last month acting chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly said hydroxychloroquine had been used early in the pandemic and it showed promise as a potential preventative or curative medicine.

"It's now undergone multiple trials around the world, and everyone has agreed that it … has not lived up to that promise … So the medical advice is it is not useful as a medicine," Kelly added.

University of Sydney researchers found men and people aged 18 to 25 were more likely to believe COVID-19 myths.

Behavioural scientist Dr Carissa Bonner says their initial survey showed younger people and men were more likely to think the benefit of herd immunity was covered up and the threat of COVID-19 was exaggerated.

Younger people were more likely to believe cure myths, such as vitamin C and hydroxychloroquine being effective treatments. Those with lower education and more social disadvantage were more likely to believe 5G was being used to spread the virus.

However Bonner says the prevalence of the 5G conspiracy theory is very low, with less than 1 per cent of those surveyed holding this belief. The researchers say there is a need for more targeted research with young Australians and men in particular about why some of them believe these myths and what might change their mind.

Leading up to Saturday, online activists organised an Australia-wide action known as the "Day of Freedom" - the latest in a series of protests against COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government.

Dr Kaz Ross, a researcher on online communities from the University of Tasmania, says issues raised at these protests often include 5G, government surveillance and vaccinations.

She says one general conspiracy theory - QAnon - now unites these disparate groups.

(continued)

#10512685 at 2020-09-03 07:31:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10512678

3/4

QAnon has emerged not only as a platform to further existing anti-vaccine rhetoric but also as an entry point for those who might only have one foot in. Followers of the anti-vaccine movement, for example, as with followers of other QAnon-adjacent conspiracies - such as those who believe that 5G is being used as a state surveillance tool - have found a home in QAnon, which also offers a distinctive end goal.

It's that end goal - the "fall of the cabal" or the defeat of the deep state - that is thought to differentiate QAnon from any conspiracy that precedes it.

"Say, if you look at something like the 'September 11 was a false flag' conspiracy or the 'Port Arthur was a false flag so John Howard could control guns in Australia' conspiracy," Ross says, "they don't really have an end date.

"Whereas this Q stuff offers a very satisfying, comforting framework. 'The plan' has been put into place. Don't worry that you don't know everything. There are evil forces but they're being dealt with. Don't worry."

On social media, celebrities including chef Pete Evans and mixed martial artist Vik Grujic have each expressed support for ideas associated with QAnon.

But it is the movement's "admins" (administrators) and "mods" (moderators) - those able to offer, deny or block access to QAnon Facebook groups as well as moderate what's discussed within them - who have assumed leadership roles in their respective groups. Among these is the Conscious Truth Network, a Facebook group moderated by James Bartolo, a former Australian soldier, whose photo appears in the group banner beside the words "How do we stop the cabal? Simple / Stop acquiescing!"

In August, groups aligned with QAnon organised a digital protest that saw hundreds of QAnon followers in Australia flood the social media accounts of mainstream media outlets - networks Seven, Nine, and Ten and the Daily Mail - with scheduled comments reading "#defundthemedia". Nine, which owns this masthead, disabled user comments.

On the same night, they also flooded the social media accounts of Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews with calls for both to be sacked.

Efforts from a group called the Millions Rise for Australia resulted in a separate spam attack on The Age's Facebook page.

According to data collected by Marc-André Argentino, a researcher who studies QAnon at Concordia University in Canada, Australia's QAnon following is among the world's largest. Argentino's assertion is echoed in a recent report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which found Australia ranked fourth for discussion of QAnon on Twitter, behind the US, the UK and Canada.

"Since mid-March, we have seen an enormous explosion in conspiracy-related activity," says Elise Thomas, a researcher of extremist dialogue and conspiracy extremism at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

While Facebook and other social media platforms have made efforts to manage its spread, Thomas warns that it could prove a "double-edged sword".

"When they crack down and these people move to code words, thinly veiled code words, you will lose some of the membership, and some won't find it again," she says. "But those who find it again are the people who are more committed.

"You end up with an increasingly small but more radicalised group."

What impact has QAnon had in the real world in the US?

In the US, a 24-year-old QAnon follower, Anthony Comello, was charged with the murder of Francesco (Franky Boy) Cali, a New York mafia boss. In court documents filed in July 2019, it was revealed that Camello's lawyer, Robert C. Gottlieb, believed Camello was so deeply deluded and obsessed with QAnon he thought he could perform a citizen's arrest on Cali and hand him over to the military.

On April 29 this year, another QAnon devotee, 37-year-old Jessica Prim, was arrested with more than a dozen illegal knives after live streaming a trip from Illinois to New York to "take out" Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

(continued)

#10501359 at 2020-09-02 07:20:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Donald Trump, QAnon and the limit of Twitter's crackdown on conspiracies

Ted O'Connor - 2 September 2020

1/3

As the QAnon conspiracy theory and its followers emerge from the darkest corners of the internet, some even charting their way to US Congress, there is growing pressure on social media companies to respond.

In late July, Twitter announced measures to stifle related groups, and Facebook and TikTok quickly followed with similar action.

Twitter said it was taking a stand and promised "strong enforcement" against "evolving threats".

But what does this crackdown, as most of the headlines described it, actually look like?

As someone fascinated by the dark sprawling conspiracy movement that is "Q", I was keen to find out.

So I devised a test that took me tumbling into the world of conspiracies and the "deep state", and discovered there are limits to how far Twitter can, and is willing, to go.

How the test worked

For the uninitiated, the QAnon conspiracy theory is centred on the baseless belief that US President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against a "deep state" network of government, media and celebrity elites involved in child abuse and satanic plots.

It's a relatively new phenomenon that started online in 2017. But experts say QAnon's reach has grown because it can encompass a range of hardcore conspiracies, from unfounded coronavirus fears and vaccination myths to debunked 5G mind control.

My test worked like this: I pretended I was Q-curious.

I was someone who felt the mainstream media was lying to them and had heard of a mysterious figure called Q who knew the truth and was leaving clues around the web to help people like me "do their own research".

I started simply, by searching the term "QAnon" on Twitter, where my results were dominated by articles from reputable news outlets that generally described it as a dangerous conspiracy.

One news report showed the FBI had even highlighted it as a domestic terrorism threat.

So far, this seemed in line with Twitter's intention.

But within minutes I penetrated deeper, using the QAnon hashtag, and soon found numerous QAnon-related accounts.

I chose three to follow that had more than 700,000 followers between them.

Two of them are linked to YouTube channels and personal websites where QAnon-related merchandise (mugs and t-shirts, mainly) are sold.

The man behind one account had recently interviewed QAnon sympathiser and celebrity chef Pete Evans, who talked at length about his fear of vaccines.

Posts from these accounts soon appeared with almost every scroll of my feed, but were amplified on days when Mr Trump was tweeting a lot.

These accounts often liked and retweeted his content.

Twitter then began suggesting more QAnon-supporting accounts for me to follow.

Every day, new strands of the conspiracy were served up to me, often presenting a darkly twisted alternative take on the US political news of the moment.

To give some meaningful context to my personal experiment, I reached out to some of Australia's best minds in social media who have taken a keen interest in QAnon.

I also handed over the keys to my Twitter account to one analyst so he could see what I had seen.

Their response was blunt and unified: what I saw was to be expected, despite Twitter's action.

And here's why.

Welcome to Q country

Firstly, I had "embedded myself in the QAnon community", according to Axel Bruns from the Queensland University of Technology, who researches the spread of conspiracies online.

He said once I made the deliberate choice to follow QAnon sympathisers, Twitter could do little to stop me going down that rabbit hole.

(continued)

#10481665 at 2020-08-31 10:58:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

QAnon Australia: Explaining The Absurd And Dangerous Conspiracy Theory Down Under

Cam Wilson - August 31, 2020

1/2

Tens of thousands of people are members or followers of online communities and figures promoting the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory in Australia. But given its focus on US politics, why are more Australians buying into this ridiculous theory?

Despite being completely unfounded and detached from reality, QAnon is well and truly mainstream. Devotees of the theory are running in-person protests, amassing enormous social media followings and will soon be in U.S. Congress.

It's also been listed as a domestic terrorism threat by the FBI, and is linked to real world violence including alleged murder.

While it is largely U.S.-centric, there are likely thousands of believers in Australia who have incorporated existing domestic conspiracy theories as part of their beliefs.

OK, I guess I'll bite: what is QAnon?

QAnon is a sprawling conspiracy theory incorporating many different other conspiracies.

At its core, believers think that U.S. President Donald Trump is secretly investigating an elite cabal of Satanic pedophiles who are in positions of power. This theory has its roots in older, antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The conspiracy was born from an anonymous imageboard account which in 2017 began posting claiming to have a "Q" clearance - the top available security clearance in the U.S. - which gave the theory its name.

This account has posted hundreds of cryptic clues over the years alluding to important dates and events that rarely ever bear out.

Needless to say, there is no evidence that Donald Trump is conducting a secret investigation of any sort - however Trump has refused to disavow the theory and has repeatedly amplified QAnon content.

And while the posts are on imageboards, QAnon content has found a large audience through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. An internal Facebook report found that the 10 biggest Facebook groups had more than 3 million members, NBC News reported.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok have taken some action to limit the proliferation of the conspiracy theory on the platform, however all still allow it in some form.

Proponents of the theory have begun to hijack other human trafficking-related campaigns like #SaveTheChildren to bring in new audiences.

How big is QAnon in Australia?

It's difficult to figure out just how many Australians are engaging with QAnon content for a couple of reasons.

QAnon is international and many online groups are non-region specific. So this means that some Australians believers won't be included in Australia-specific QAnon communities and accounts.

Additionally, recent crackdowns by social media companies have eliminated some of the bigger QAnon communities, including Australia's biggest Facebook group. In response, some QAnon groups have taken steps to evade bans by changing their names or other efforts.

Concordia University Ph.D candidate specialising in online extremism Marc-André Argentino said that Australia is in the top 5 countries in both size and activity for QAnon.

A Gizmodo investigation found several obvious Australian Facebook groups and pages with thousands of members, dozens of Instagram accounts with hundreds of followers, and several Twitter accounts with tens of thousands of followers. All up, these Australian accounts, pages and groups have more than 70,000 followers in total.

As well, search trend data suggests that more Australians are searching for QAnon - although this does not distinguish between people who believe it and those who don't.

Compared to the U.S., Australia doesn't have many public figures who've publicly shared QAnon content.

However, former television host and celebrity chef Pete Evans has repeatedly shared QAnon content with his 1.75 million followers across Facebook and Instagram. And at least one QAnon believer has run for federal parliament.

And there are some believers with close links to power: in 2019, the Guardian reported that a family friend of the Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a QAnon believer.

(continued)

#10436448 at 2020-08-27 08:10:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Celebrity chef Pete Evans makes wild claims that Australia 'is run by paedophiles' as he reiterates a QAnon conspiracy theory

Pete Evans has made yet another bizarre and baseless claim in a post on Instagram Stories on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old celebrity chef shared a post claiming Australia 'is run by pedos [paedophiles]'.

The post was originally shared by a fellow conspiracy theorist, with Pete also including a link back to the original.

It included a screenshot of a Daily Mail Australia report on Wednesday that Victorian sexual assault survivors could face prison time just for telling their stories.

Pete reposted a screenshot of the story, along with the caption: 'It only makes sense when you realise this country is run by pedos'.

'When a country is run by pedos, they will silence those who can name them, and pass laws to take your kids under the guise of COVID health care directives,' read the caption on the original post.

'You better hurry up and wake up Australia… Most won't realise until their kids are taken to a camp by these creeps.'

The bizarre claim is in line with an unfounded conspiracy theory put out by the extremist QAnon movement.

Followers of QAnon believe that US President Donald Trump is leading the fight against paedophiles and their supposed 'deep state' allies, which include governments, the media and businesses.

While the conspiracy theory has been making the rounds on the internet for years, it gained traction earlier this month, fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Adding to its momentum is the fact Trump has so far refused to discredit it, giving followers more ammunition.

According to legend, there's a person behind the extremist conspiracy theory, known simply as 'Q', who supposedly works as a US government insider with top security clearance.

Followers of QAnon have also downplayed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, with Pete repeating these claims on his own social media accounts.

They have also been responsible for the spread of medical disinformation and originating several hoaxes.

The former My Kitchen Rules judge was fined $25,200 back in April after he falsely claimed his $15,000 BioCharger lamp could potentially cure coronavirus.

He's since made several other damaging claims about the pandemic, which has so far led to over 820,000 deaths globally.

Last month, Pete urged people in Victoria not to wear face masks, after it was made mandatory by the state government.

He also claimed that COVID-19 was a 'f**king hoax' and said that the pandemic 'doesn't compare to what is happening in the world on a large scale'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8665161/Disgraced-celebrity-chef-Pete-Evans-makes-baseless-claims-Australia-run-paedophiles.html

#10411189 at 2020-08-25 06:42:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10411182

2/2

5) Longstanding alternative health lobbies

Australia's sizeable anti-vax movement has found great support in the QAnon community. Fear about mandatory vaccinations is widespread, as is a distrust of "big pharma".

Also, the continuing roll-out of 5G technology throughout the pandemic has confirmed the belief among QAnon followers that there are ulterior motives for the lockdown. Wellness influencers such as celebrity chef Pete Evans have amplified these messages to their millions of followers.

6) The 'plandemic' and weaponising of COVID-19

In the QAnon world, debates about the origin of the coronavirus, death rates, definition of cases, testing protocols and possible treatments are underpinned by a belief that governments are covering up the truth. Many believe the virus isn't real or deadly, or it was deliberately introduced to hasten government control of populations.

Understanding QAnon followers

Understanding why people become part of these movements is the key to stopping the spread of the QAnon virus. Research into extremist groups shows four elements are important:

1) Real or perceived personal and collective grievances

This year, some of these grievances have been linked directly to the pandemic: government lockdown restrictions, a loss of income, fear about the future and disruption of plans such as travel.

2) Networks and personal ties

Social media has given people the ability to find others with similar grievances or beliefs, to share doubts and concerns and to learn about connecting theories and explanations for what may be troubling them.

3) Political and religious ideologies

QAnon is very hierarchically structured, similar to evangelical Christianity. QAnon followers join a select group of truth seekers who are following the "light" and have a duty to wake up the "sheeple". Like some religions, the QAnon world is welcoming to all and provides a strong sense of community united by a noble purpose and hope for a better future.

4) Enabling environments and support structures

In the QAnon world, spending many hours on social media is valued as doing "research" and seen as an antidote to the so-called fake news of the mainstream media.

Social isolation, a barrage of changing and confusing pandemic news and obliging social media platforms have been a boon for QAnon groups. However, simply banning or deleting groups runs the danger of confirming the beliefs of QAnon followers.

So what can be done?

Governments need to be more sensitive in their messaging and avoid triggering panic around sensitive issues such as mandatory or forced vaccinations. Transparency about government actions, policies and mistakes all help to build trust.

Governments also need to ensure they are providing enough resources to support people during this challenging time, particularly when it comes to mental and emotional well-being. Resourcing community-building to counter isolation is vital.

For families and friends, losing a loved one "down the Q rabbit hole" is distressing. Research shows that arguing over facts and myths doesn't work.

Like many conspiracy theories, there are elements of truth in QAnon. Empathy and compassion, rather than ridicule and ostracism, are the keys to remaining connected to the Q follower in your life. Hopefully, with time, they'll come back.

https://theconversation.com/why-qanon-is-attracting-so-many-followers-in-australia-and-how-it-can-be-countered-144865

#10369123 at 2020-08-21 09:12:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Aussie tennis great Pat Cash promotes conspiracy theory coronavirus film

Aussie tennis great Pat Cash has sparked outrage on social media after tweeting his support for a controversial conspiracy theory documentary about coronavirus.

Cash posted the link to the 'Plandemic: Indoctornation' film on Wednesday, that has also been shared by celebrity chef Pete Evans on his Facebook page.

The film promotes a widely debunked theory about how the COVID-19 strain was created by an American doctor and the wealthy, and claims that masks are harmful and will activate the virus.

The doco promotes itself as the "most important documentary you will ever see".

The film has been banned on major social media platforms, including Facebook, and Twitter users are given a warning that the link is potentially spammy or unsafe before sharing.

"It's finally out, download here as well. Be informed - make up your own mind," the former Wimbledon champion tweeted, before it was quickly deleted.

Evans also shared the film on his Facebook page on Wednesday and encouraged his followers to watch and share.

"Please step up and learn and share ASAP. This is serious," he wrote.

Australian tennis great and six-time grand slam champion Rennae Stubbs took aim at Cash when she replied to another of his controversial tweets on Thursday morning comparing smoking and coronavirus deaths.

"Pat i live in NYC, u should delete this tweet," she said, before Cash's first tweet disappeared.

"I know too many people that didn't ask for this virus and some even died. Little different when people are volunteering to put smoke in their own lungs."

Nick Kyrgios' brother Christos also slammed Cash's tweet by replying "dangerous dangerous content".

Biomedical scientist Dr Darren Saunders also joined the condemnation with his tweet: "Your headband is too tight champ, it's cutting off circulation to your brain".

Other speculated whether his account had been hacked.

Cash's tweet seems to have since been deleted on Thursday morning with it removed from his profile after the uproar.

According to Forbes, the full-length Plandemic movie promotes a widely discredited conspiracy theory that claims Dr Anthony Fauci was responsible for the creation of the coronavirus strain that has caused a worldwide pandemic.

Dr Fauci is one of the top infectious diseases experts in the United States and a member of the White House coronavirus task force.

Forbes reported the film was based on the claims of discredited scientist and American activist Judy Mikovits, who said that doctors, including Dr Fauci, and the rich and powerful, were behind the spread of the virus.

Ms Mikovits also claims masks are harmful and would activate the virus and reinfect the wearer over and over.

The full-length film follows a 26-minute trailer that went viral in May and was viewed by more than 8 million people in about a week.

Official Victorian Department of Health and Human Services directives state masks help stop droplets spreading when someone speaks, laughs, coughs or sneezes, including someone who has tested positive to coronavirus.

The health department said face coverings were an additional protective physical barrier to protect people against the spread of the virus.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/aussie-tennis-great-pat-cash-promotes-conspiracy-theory-coronavirus-film/news-story/18c0ac0622989e34b0e28659e5bb34e6

#10099726 at 2020-07-28 10:00:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#8 - Part 15
>>10052552 Australia hits out at Chinese hackers, as Pompeo urges global coalition against China
>>10052656 Bernard Collaery and Witness K - Secret trials: our judges need to resist the government's pressure
>>10062495 Chinese diplomat accused of spying operation in US used to work in Australia
>>10062914 Child abuse victim bottled up crimes after headmaster failed to take action, court told
>>10063039 Facebook accounts for up to 60% of child abuse reports to AFP, data shows
>>10063278 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: The @DeptofDefense is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian forces
>>10067449 Pete Evans Tweet: Australia has officially notified China and the UN that it rejects all of China's territorial claims in South China Sea
>>10071120 Morrison Government declares Beijing's South China Sea claims 'illegal' at United Nations
>>10071243, >>10071252 US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation
>>10077311 Victims of BoysTown launch new legal action in lifelong battle for justice
>>10078496 Australia unwisely boards US leaky boat to meddle in South China Sea - Source: GlobalTimes.cn

>>10088737 Joe Biden win to strengthen US-Australia ties: Democratic plan
>>10088866 US columnist urges Trump honour Morrison
>>10088887 Shared courage against China: Why Australia deserves a second state visit
>>10089131 Black Lives Matter rally planned for Sydney still illegal after NSW Supreme Court dismisses appeal
>>10089258, >>10089266 Despite the polls, wobbly Joe is not home and hosed yet - Alexander Downer
>>10089369 President Donald Trump Tweet: Nice! - Retweeting Akki @akkitwts video: This is the best thing you'll see today
>>10089369 (1997) Mark Philippoussis wins but 14-year-old ballgirl Amy Kavanagh steals the show
>>10090698 Anon rails against OUTSPOKEN DIMWITS RUINING THE MESSAGE - "You're not doing the cause any favours."
>>10099270 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: Australia and the United States maintain an unbreakable alliance
>>10099270 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Thank you @EsperDoD for your welcome and our productive discussion
>>10099430 U.S. Department of State Tweet: The U.S.-Australia relationship is an admirable example of how two countries can work together
>>10099430 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Thank you for the warm welcome @SecPompeo as we navigate significant strategic challenges

#10099708 at 2020-07-28 09:55:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#8 - Part 7
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 2
>>9449358 Trump supporters on Twitter spread Covid-19 rumors about China
>>9462455 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Great conversation with my Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK counterparts
>>9462455 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Productive call with @MarisePayne... on our coordination on COVID-19
>>9481809 Scott Morrison reveals what he REALLY thinks of Donald Trump - and answers awkward question about the US president's 'PR stunt'
>>9481930 Don't write America off, says Australia's ambassador to the US, Arthur Sinodinos
>>9504531 "There's evidence a growing number of Australians subscribe to a US conspiracy theory known as QAnon." - canberratimes.com.au
>>9531015 Five Eyes expanded to focus on co-ordinated strategic economic response to the COVID-19 crisis
>>9543946 COVID has made Australia 'less safe': ASIO boss
>>9544014 Spy chief calls on tech companies to co-operate with governments in the abolition of abhorrent content during the Covid 19 pandemic
>>9544217 Video: From 5G towers to Bill Gates: inside the COVID-19 conspiracy theories | 60 Minutes Australia

>>9544238 Video: Pete Evans unedited and uncensored interview with 60 minutes in full
>>9544262 AussieQne 369 Tweet: #PeteEvans interview on @60Mins discuss #Qanon #AussieQ #WeAreTheNewsNow
>>9558487 'They want world domination': Australia urged to join 'cold war' on China
>>9561486 Peter Dutton vows to hunt down 'depraved' pedophiles to combat child exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic
>>9571744 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: We're catching more and more depraved individuals who access child abuse material online
>>9571762 Black Lives Matter protests 'completely unacceptable', Scott Morrison says in call for demonstrators to be charged
>>9584018 'This is not Trump's America': ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr hits back at PM's call to arrest protesters
>>9602333 Thousands protest against racism in Australia, defying govt pleas not to rally during Covid-19 outbreak
>>9618629 Why does Twitter think Tom Hanks is dead? Conspiracy started with Instagram post from Kirsten Dunst during COVID-19 lockdown
>>9642037 Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne calls out China over 'false' facts and 'climate of fear'

>>9672657 UK Home Secretary Priti Patel chairs virtual 'Five Eyes' security summit
>>9672657 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: The global pandemic has highlighted the value of this vital intelligence and security partnership
>>9672700 Treasurer Josh Frydenberg Tweet: Today Australia hosted the first call with Finance Ministers of the "Five Eyes" nations to discuss COVID-19
>>9696519 Anti-Covid drug may be ready in Australia by the end of the year
>>9727197 Rudd warns of international after the COVID-19 pandemic - "crucial" for Democratic nominee Joe Biden to win the November election
>>9740253 Australian Defence Force to send 1,000 personnel to assist Victoria in coronavirus response
>>9796941 Victoria imposes 4-week lockdowns amid case spike, 10 Melbourne postcodes targeted in crackdown
>>9822546 Gilead donates Covid-19 drug remdesivir to Australia's medical stockpile after US buys up supply
>>9822658 Tom Hanks Says 'Don't Be a P*ssy': 'Shame on You' if You Don't Wear a Mask
>>9838340 Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos raises conspiracy concern as 10,000 refuse coronavirus test

>>9882061 Video: Coronavirus Victoria: Stage three lockdown restrictions reimposed on metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire
>>9892138 Covid vaccine trials have started in Australia - Coronavirus vaccine trial patients to earn $2350
>>9892363 Atlantic Council Tweet: "How did it happen? How can we do things better in the future?" - Australian Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos
>>9913238 US Marine tests positive for coronavirus in the Northern Territory as part of US Marine Corps' Marine Rotational Force
>>9920231 Remdesivir: Australia's first COVID-19 treatment approved by Therapeutic Goods Administration
>>9956068 Mystery surrounds car with 'COVID 19' number plate parked at Adelaide Airport for months
>>9966696 Scott Morrison says Australia cannot shut down to contain second wave of Covid-19
>>9977180 Video: Brad Hazzard, New South Wales Minister for Health - "We've Got To Accept That This Is The New World Order"
>>9985200 Donald Trump 'very complimentary' on Australia's COVID-19 response, says PM
>>9994037 Islamic leaders fear spread of COVID-19 conspiracy

#10099686 at 2020-07-28 09:51:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Notables
are not endorsements

#8 - Part 1
>>9062596 Child Abuse Royal Commission's key findings on Cardinal George Pell
>>9076396 Cardinal Pell pushes back on royal commission report
>>9076459 STATEMENT FROM CARDINAL GEORGE PELL
>>9076459 STATEMENT from Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne
>>9076496 Cardinal George Pell: Victoria police to assess unredacted royal commission findings
>>9077042 Three children rescued in the Philippines after tip-off from Australian authorities
>>9077240 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: This week we pause to remember the Battle of #CoralSea, when U.S. and Australian forces fought together
>>9077240 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: Privileged to interview @Australian_Navy veteran Gordon Johnson (dec.) on his experience at the Battle of #CoralSea
>>9106746 Video: WWG1WGA at the Melbourne Freedom Rally
>>9106795 #QAnon trending on Twitter in Australia - 6:20 pm Sunday, 10 May 2020 (AEST)

>>9118857 #ObamaGate trending on Twitter in Australia - 3:00 pm, Monday, 11 May 2020 (AEST)
>>9119058 Ten arrested and police officer injured at protest against Victoria's Covid-19 lockdown laws
>>9120100 "The Pyramid" - public art works sculpture, Forbes, New South Wales - Naked Rabbitwoman and Dogman symbolism
>>9120100 Gillie and Marc - Australian collaborative artist couple, known for human-animal hybrid and abstract sculptures
>>9120100 Gillie and Marc sculptures - 'Deerman with coffee' and 'Deerman thought a pear a day would help him play'
>>9127356 #ObamaGate / #obamagate trending on Twitter in Australia - 6:20 am, Tuesday, 12 May 2020 (AEST)
>>9136594 Celebrity Chef Pete Evans Is Sharing QAnon Conspiracy Theory Posts On Instagram After Losing His Job
>>9137174 Clergy abuse survivor draws support for petition to defrock Pell
>>9137174 Defrock Cardinal George Pell - Paul Levey started this petition to Pope Francis, Arch Bishop Peter Comesoli and Bishop Paul Bird
>>9137335 Three men charged, four children removed from harm after AFP investigation into child exploitation network

>>9137427 Sydney man jailed for online exploitation and extortion of children
>>9137447 Statement from father of victim of online child exploitation
>>9152032 New powers for ASIO to question 14-year-olds and go after foreign spies
>>9152389 Video: Elon Musk's prediction for the future of energy in Australia
>>9166350 More jail time means Gerald Ridsdale is 'likely to die in custody'
>>9181529 Alexander Downer may face scrutiny in US probe
>>9181688 Westpac failed to properly monitor 12 suspicious customers in AUSTRAC case
>>9197754 Five Eyes governments legal challenge to Facebook's 'dangerous' encryption of messages between terrorists, paedophiles and criminals
>>9198211 Multi-millionaire Sir Ron Brierley to plead on child porn charges, court hears
>>9198276 Catholic brother nicknamed 'The Rat' jailed for sex abuse of four Traralgon schoolboys

>>9198418 NICOLE KIDMAN "INJURED" AND WEARING A MCSTAIN-STYLE AIRCAST
>>9209294 Australian Federal Police tip-off leads to rescue of child sex slaves
>>9221671 Q Post #4277 - https://twitter.com/EYEDROPMEDIA/status/1262146618419183616 - WWG1WGA!!!
>>9221671 EYE DROP MEDIA Tweet - It's BIGGER than anyone can imagine!
>>9221671 June Lorraine Lee Tweet: They never thought that she would lose - Now they all LOSE
>>9235671 House Judiciary GOP Tweet: @Jim_Jordan & @RepMikeJohnson invite Bill Priestap and Joe Pientka to appear before the Judiciary Committee
>>9235831 Former soldier to prosecute cases of alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan
>>9235839 Top Sydney barrister to oversee war crimes probe against Ben Roberts-Smith
>>9235966 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: 78th anniversary of the Battle of the #CoralSea…shared history and values that drive our Unbreakable Alliance
>>9236096 Mark @awakeinaus_ Tweet: Katherine Keating has links to Epstein, Maxwell, Rachel Chandler, Balasz, Standard Hotel, Soros, Prince Andrew…

#10099673 at 2020-07-28 09:45:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#8 - Part 15
>>10052552 Australia hits out at Chinese hackers, as Pompeo urges global coalition against China
>>10052656 Bernard Collaery and Witness K - Secret trials: our judges need to resist the government's pressure
>>10062495 Chinese diplomat accused of spying operation in US used to work in Australia
>>10062914 Child abuse victim bottled up crimes after headmaster failed to take action, court told
>>10063039 Facebook accounts for up to 60% of child abuse reports to AFP, data shows
>>10063278 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: The @DeptofDefense is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian forces
>>10067449 Pete Evans Tweet: Australia has officially notified China and the UN that it rejects all of China's territorial claims in South China Sea
>>10071120 Morrison Government declares Beijing's South China Sea claims 'illegal' at United Nations
>>10071243, >>10071252 US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation
>>10077311 Victims of BoysTown launch new legal action in lifelong battle for justice
>>10078496 Australia unwisely boards US leaky boat to meddle in South China Sea - Source: GlobalTimes.cn

>>10088737 Joe Biden win to strengthen US-Australia ties: Democratic plan
>>10088866 US columnist urges Trump honour Morrison
>>10088887 Shared courage against China: Why Australia deserves a second state visit
>>10089131 Black Lives Matter rally planned for Sydney still illegal after NSW Supreme Court dismisses appeal
>>10089258, >>10089266 Despite the polls, wobbly Joe is not home and hosed yet - Alexander Downer
>>10089369 President Donald Trump Tweet: Nice! - Retweeting Akki @akkitwts video: This is the best thing you'll see today
>>10089369 (1997) Mark Philippoussis wins but 14-year-old ballgirl Amy Kavanagh steals the show
>>10090698 Anon rails against OUTSPOKEN DIMWITS RUINING THE MESSAGE - "You're not doing the cause any favours."
>>10099270 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: Australia and the United States maintain an unbreakable alliance
>>10099270 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Thank you @EsperDoD for your welcome and our productive discussion
>>10099430 U.S. Department of State Tweet: The U.S.-Australia relationship is an admirable example of how two countries can work together
>>10099430 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Thank you for the warm welcome @SecPompeo as we navigate significant strategic challenges

#10099637 at 2020-07-28 09:35:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#8 - Part 7
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 2
>>9449358 Trump supporters on Twitter spread Covid-19 rumors about China
>>9462455 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Great conversation with my Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK counterparts
>>9462455 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Productive call with @MarisePayne… on our coordination on COVID-19
>>9481809 Scott Morrison reveals what he REALLY thinks of Donald Trump - and answers awkward question about the US president's 'PR stunt'
>>9481930 Don't write America off, says Australia's ambassador to the US, Arthur Sinodinos
>>9504531 "There's evidence a growing number of Australians subscribe to a US conspiracy theory known as QAnon." - canberratimes.com.au
>>9531015 Five Eyes expanded to focus on co-ordinated strategic economic response to the COVID-19 crisis
>>9543946 COVID has made Australia 'less safe': ASIO boss
>>9544014 Spy chief calls on tech companies to co-operate with governments in the abolition of abhorrent content during the Covid 19 pandemic
>>9544217 Video: From 5G towers to Bill Gates: inside the COVID-19 conspiracy theories | 60 Minutes Australia

>>9544238 Video: Pete Evans unedited and uncensored interview with 60 minutes in full
>>9544262 AussieQne 369 Tweet: #PeteEvans interview on @60Mins discuss #Qanon #AussieQ #WeAreTheNewsNow
>>9558487 'They want world domination': Australia urged to join 'cold war' on China
>>9561486 Peter Dutton vows to hunt down 'depraved' pedophiles to combat child exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic
>>9571744 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: We're catching more and more depraved individuals who access child abuse material online
>>9571762 Black Lives Matter protests 'completely unacceptable', Scott Morrison says in call for demonstrators to be charged
>>9584018 'This is not Trump's America': ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr hits back at PM's call to arrest protesters
>>9602333 Thousands protest against racism in Australia, defying govt pleas not to rally during Covid-19 outbreak
>>9618629 Why does Twitter think Tom Hanks is dead? Conspiracy started with Instagram post from Kirsten Dunst during COVID-19 lockdown
>>9642037 Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne calls out China over 'false' facts and 'climate of fear'

>>9672657 UK Home Secretary Priti Patel chairs virtual 'Five Eyes' security summit
>>9672657 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton Tweet: The global pandemic has highlighted the value of this vital intelligence and security partnership
>>9672700 Treasurer Josh Frydenberg Tweet: Today Australia hosted the first call with Finance Ministers of the "Five Eyes" nations to discuss COVID-19
>>9696519 Anti-Covid drug may be ready in Australia by the end of the year
>>9727197 Rudd warns of international after the COVID-19 pandemic - "crucial" for Democratic nominee Joe Biden to win the November election
>>9740253 Australian Defence Force to send 1,000 personnel to assist Victoria in coronavirus response
>>9796941 Victoria imposes 4-week lockdowns amid case spike, 10 Melbourne postcodes targeted in crackdown
>>9822546 Gilead donates Covid-19 drug remdesivir to Australia's medical stockpile after US buys up supply
>>9822658 Tom Hanks Says 'Don't Be a P*ssy': 'Shame on You' if You Don't Wear a Mask
>>9838340 Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos raises conspiracy concern as 10,000 refuse coronavirus test

>>9882061 Video: Coronavirus Victoria: Stage three lockdown restrictions reimposed on metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire
>>9892138 Covid vaccine trials have started in Australia - Coronavirus vaccine trial patients to earn $2350
>>9892363 Atlantic Council Tweet: "How did it happen? How can we do things better in the future?" - Australian Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos
>>9913238 US Marine tests positive for coronavirus in the Northern Territory as part of US Marine Corps' Marine Rotational Force
>>9920231 Remdesivir: Australia's first COVID-19 treatment approved by Therapeutic Goods Administration
>>9956068 Mystery surrounds car with 'COVID 19' number plate parked at Adelaide Airport for months
>>9966696 Scott Morrison says Australia cannot shut down to contain second wave of Covid-19
>>9977180 Video: Brad Hazzard, New South Wales Minister for Health - "We've Got To Accept That This Is The New World Order"
>>9985200 Donald Trump 'very complimentary' on Australia's COVID-19 response, says PM
>>9994037 Islamic leaders fear spread of COVID-19 conspiracy

#10099609 at 2020-07-28 09:25:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Notables
are not endorsements

#8 - Part 1
>>9062596 Child Abuse Royal Commission's key findings on Cardinal George Pell
>>9076396 Cardinal Pell pushes back on royal commission report
>>9076459 STATEMENT FROM CARDINAL GEORGE PELL
>>9076459 STATEMENT from Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne
>>9076496 Cardinal George Pell: Victoria police to assess unredacted royal commission findings
>>9077042 Three children rescued in the Philippines after tip-off from Australian authorities
>>9077240 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: This week we pause to remember the Battle of #CoralSea, when U.S. and Australian forces fought together
>>9077240 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: Privileged to interview @Australian_Navy veteran Gordon Johnson (dec.) on his experience at the Battle of #CoralSea
>>9106746 Video: WWG1WGA at the Melbourne Freedom Rally
>>9106795 #QAnon trending on Twitter in Australia - 6:20 pm Sunday, 10 May 2020 (AEST)

>>9118857 #ObamaGate trending on Twitter in Australia - 3:00 pm, Monday, 11 May 2020 (AEST)
>>9119058 Ten arrested and police officer injured at protest against Victoria's Covid-19 lockdown laws
>>9120100 "The Pyramid" - public art works sculpture, Forbes, New South Wales - Naked Rabbitwoman and Dogman symbolism
>>9120100 Gillie and Marc - Australian collaborative artist couple, known for human-animal hybrid and abstract sculptures
>>9120100 Gillie and Marc sculptures - 'Deerman with coffee' and 'Deerman thought a pear a day would help him play'
>>9127356 #ObamaGate / #obamagate trending on Twitter in Australia - 6:20 am, Tuesday, 12 May 2020 (AEST)
>>9136594 Celebrity Chef Pete Evans Is Sharing QAnon Conspiracy Theory Posts On Instagram After Losing His Job
>>9137174 Clergy abuse survivor draws support for petition to defrock Pell
>>9137174 Defrock Cardinal George Pell - Paul Levey started this petition to Pope Francis, Arch Bishop Peter Comesoli and Bishop Paul Bird
>>9137335 Three men charged, four children removed from harm after AFP investigation into child exploitation network

>>9137427 Sydney man jailed for online exploitation and extortion of children
>>9137447 Statement from father of victim of online child exploitation
>>9152032 New powers for ASIO to question 14-year-olds and go after foreign spies
>>9152389 Video: Elon Musk's prediction for the future of energy in Australia
>>9166350 More jail time means Gerald Ridsdale is 'likely to die in custody'
>>9181529 Alexander Downer may face scrutiny in US probe
>>9181688 Westpac failed to properly monitor 12 suspicious customers in AUSTRAC case
>>9197754 Five Eyes governments legal challenge to Facebook's 'dangerous' encryption of messages between terrorists, paedophiles and criminals
>>9198211 Multi-millionaire Sir Ron Brierley to plead on child porn charges, court hears
>>9198276 Catholic brother nicknamed 'The Rat' jailed for sex abuse of four Traralgon schoolboys

>>9198418 NICOLE KIDMAN "INJURED" AND WEARING A MCSTAIN-STYLE AIRCAST
>>9209294 Australian Federal Police tip-off leads to rescue of child sex slaves
>>9221671 Q Post #4277 - https://twitter.com/EYEDROPMEDIA/status/1262146618419183616 - WWG1WGA!!!
>>9221671 EYE DROP MEDIA Tweet - It's BIGGER than anyone can imagine!
>>9221671 June Lorraine Lee Tweet: They never thought that she would lose - Now they all LOSE
>>9235671 House Judiciary GOP Tweet: @Jim_Jordan & @RepMikeJohnson invite Bill Priestap and Joe Pientka to appear before the Judiciary Committee
>>9235831 Former soldier to prosecute cases of alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan
>>9235839 Top Sydney barrister to oversee war crimes probe against Ben Roberts-Smith
>>9235966 US Embassy Canberra Tweet: 78th anniversary of the Battle of the #CoralSea…shared history and values that drive our Unbreakable Alliance
>>9236096 Mark @awakeinaus_ Tweet: Katherine Keating has links to Epstein, Maxwell, Rachel Chandler, Balasz, Standard Hotel, Soros, Prince Andrew…

#10067449 at 2020-07-24 21:35:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Repost from Q Research General #12884

>>10067100 (pb)

Pete Evans Tweet

Australia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has officially notified China and the UN that it rejects all of China's territorial claims in the South China Sea & considers all such claims as unlawful under international law

cc
@thespybrief
@justapedn_cob
@LouiseMensch

https://twitter.com/911CORLEBRA777/status/1286687648866689024

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#9544238 at 2020-06-09 09:06:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

>>9544217
Pete Evans unedited and uncensored interview with 60 minutes in full.

Evolve with Pete Evans - Published on 7 Jun 2020

Apologies as I wished to have the whole interview filmed, however we were instructed just before recording, not to film the reporter asking the questions, so you are stuck with me I am sorry xo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5isp-KCf8Ow

#9329255 at 2020-05-27 09:20:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

How COVID-19 is driving a booming conspiracy industry

By Elise Thomas

May 27, 2020 - 12.00am

1/2

As legitimate newsrooms around the world are crumbling under the financial pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, including at least 157 in Australia since January that have closed temporarily or permanently, the conspiracy industry is booming. It's a dynamic that should have all Australians concerned.

When we talk about conspiracies today, it's often in relation to viral Facebook posts or misinformation on Twitter. That is only part of the story, however. Conspiracies are also an increasingly lucrative moneyspinner for everyone from Instagram influencers and celebrity chefs to long-time professional conspiracists such as Alex Jones or David Icke (if you're struggling to remember who David Icke is, he's the former English footballer who says the world is run by lizard people, and who has more recently pivoted to promoting the widespread conspiracy that COVID-19 is linked to 5G).

The COVID-19 crisis has been an unprecedented opportunity for the conspiracy industry, which has rushed to fill the many unanswered questions about the virus and the response to it with an alacrity that legitimate information sources simply cannot match. Good journalism takes time and money, and medical research takes even more, but spinning conspiracies is free and takes only as long as you need to make it up.

Conspiracies have always come with opportunities to make a bit of cash but the internet has provided a raft of new money-making possibilities for figures such as Jones and Icke, and paved the way for the ascensions of the likes of Steve Bannon and Paul Joseph Watson. Low-cost websites allow them to look and sound like news organisations, while social media platforms enable them to reach a vastly wider audience. Digital third-party advertising created a new revenue stream to supplement the age-old strategy of convincing people you have the solutions to their problems available at a low, low price - except instead of snake oil today's conspiracists are selling $97 electromagnetic field protection hats and colloidal silver frequency water on Etsy.

The market for their wares is growing - a recent poll found significant minorities of Australians, particularly those aged 18-34, were likely to hold conspiratorial beliefs about the coronavirus pandemic. One in five young Australians surveyed believed that Bill Gates played a role in the creation and spread of COVID-19 and the same proportion thought 5G technology was being used to spread the virus.

For those willing to embrace the maxim that all publicity is good publicity, conspiracies have proven to be a great way for fading celebrities and languishing Instagram stars to bump up their numbers. Former celebrity chef Pete Evans, who has previously promoted health misinformation and anti-vaxxer views, took to Instagram after losing his spot on My Kitchen Rules to share content about the QAnon conspiracy to his 231,000 followers. The rush of mainstream media attention that followed, as critical as it may have been, undoubtedly boosted his profile and helped to keep his name in the headlines.

Evans continues to share conspiracies interspersed with cooking content on his social media accounts and it's not difficult to see why. On May 21, for example, Evans made two posts, two minutes apart on Facebook. After one hour, the post on his recipe for ocean trout with minted pea puree had received 35 likes, 3 comments and 2 shares; the anti-vaccine conspiracy post had received over 1900 likes, 507 comments and 262 shares. For celebrities who build careers around social media engagement, those kind of numbers are hard to resist.

(continued)

#9197815 at 2020-05-16 09:23:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

What is QAnon? How the coronavirus has given a voice to the bizarre, pro-Trump US fringe movement

COVID-19 has provided the unexpected breeding ground for a movement to take hold, the roots of which began with a pro-Trump conspiracy theory.

Jessica Wang - MAY 16, 2020

From baseless associations linking 5G to health risks, high-profile paedophile rings, President Donald Trump's secret plan to arrest elites and hoax medical supplements advertised to cure COVID-19, these bizarre theories all share one thing in common.

They've seemingly originated from the fringe QAnon movement - a haven for conservative conspiracy theorists.

The roots of the group originated in October 2017 on the internet chat forum, 4Chan. The anonymous poster, who went by the pseudonym of 'Q', began sharing what appeared to be highly-classified information about the government.

One of their central beliefs, of many, is that the world is controlled by a group of anti-Trump elites. Among the group are Democrat politicians, Hollywood heavyweights, billionaires and other people of influence.

Accusation of a child sex-trafficking ring has also been thrown into the mix, as has inferences of cannibalism.

Furthermore, Q also believes President Trump has launched a secret investigation to bring these deep state elites to justice.

The group has amassed mainstream attention as well. In August 2019, QAnon became the first a fringe conspiracy group determined by the FBI to be a Domestic Terrorist Threat. In May of this year, Facebook also removed several groups, accounts and pages linked to QAnon.

Now with coronavirus top of mind, the community has been linked to some of the most harmful and dangerous myths associated with the pandemic. Closer to home, their views have also been circulated by high-profile social media accounts.

AN INFODEMIC FLAMED BY A PANDEMIC

While initially COVID-19 was believed to be a deep state plot designed to ruin President Trump's attempts at re-election, QAnon followers have since pivoted their approach.

Writing for The Conversation, researcher of online movements, Marc-André Argentino said they now believe the pandemic to be a "cover for the Trump administration's secret plan to arrest deep state agents".

An influencer within the QAnon community, David Hayes, or Praying Medic as he's better known, has also called the virus "spiritual warfare," stating that it will only affect those not chosen by God.

However, these are among the many 'crowdsourced narratives' from the community, wrote Hayes.

QAnon theorists have also implicated Bill Gates as a key-figure in the pandemic.

In several videos circulated by believers, they accuse the Microsoft co-founder of knowing about the pandemic and using the virus as a means to fan his 'pro-vaccine agenda'.

They alleged he knew about the pandemic due to his participation in Event 201 which looked at a high-level pandemic simulation in October 2019 as well as the fact that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have donated to the Pirbright Institute which received a coronavirus-related patent in 2002.

However, an investigation from the New York Times determined this to be misleading.

"The patent was not for COVID-19; it was connected to a potential vaccine for a different coronavirus that affects poultry," they reported.

…..

ON HOME TURF

Whether intentional or by chance, the beliefs strongly-held within the QAnon community have reached Australia.

Last Sunday saw over 200 anti-lockdown protesters at the steps of Victoria's Parliament House who carried signs rallying against vaccines, restriction and 5G. On social media, ideologies linked to QAnon have also been shared among high profile celebrities.

On March 26, former Married At First Sight contestant, Haley Vernom also shared a video alleging the coronavirus pandemic was a "set up by the elite".

"Stage a world crisis. Create panic and fear. Crash the global economy. Create dependency in the government," she wrote in the caption.

"This is not just an illness this is a way to whip and align the masses and to take your freedom your choices out of your hands."

Former My Kitchen Rules Judge Pete Evans has also shared theories which align with beliefs from QAnon community. On his Facebook group, the controversial anti-vaxxer has shared multiple posts which denounce Bill Gates and the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Most pertinent, in a recent Instagram story he shared a graphic which links the arrest of high profile people to coronavirus, claiming they've committed "major crimes against humanity". Despite this, Mr Evans has never made mention to QAnon.

https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/what-is-qanon-how-the-coronavirus-has-given-a-voice-to-the-bizarre-protrump-us-fringe-movement/news-story/821a1a1d69c6a85358d68f9ae863cbee

#9136594 at 2020-05-12 06:30:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Celebrity Chef Pete Evans Is Sharing QAnon Conspiracy Theory Posts On Instagram After Losing His Job

The last month hasn't been great for many. Pete Evans is likely to count himself among them.

The Australian celebrity chef and television presenter has previously courted controversy for making unfounded health claims about his recipes and platforming anti-vaxxers. But even for him, Evans has been subject to an abnormally large number of public scandals in recent weeks.

His company was fined $25,000 after Evans claimed the "BioCharger" wellness gizmo that he was selling on his website for $14,990 could address the coronavirus. Experts slammed his new cookbook of ketogenic recipes for being unsustainable and unbalanced. And then finally, multiple news outlets reported he had lost his lucrative job hosting reality cooking show My Kitchen Rules - the gig that made him a household name in Australia.

What has received less attention, though, is his social media activity. Evans frequently shares what he's been doing on his Facebook page (1.49 million likes) and Instagram account (231,000 followers).

In the past month, his content has taken a darker turn.

This week, after news broke of his departure from My Kitchen Rules, Evans shared content relating to the QAnon conspiracy theory, a baseless belief that US president Donald Trump is in charge of an investigation into a secret group of satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles among political elites.

Evans shared graphics on his Instagram on May 11 and 12 that use language and symbols common among the believers of this extreme theory.

His May 11 post is an overwhelming chart including dozens of obscure references to parts of the theory that are fringe even among QAnon believers, including "genetic farmer races", "Nazi breakaway groups" and "inner earth civilizations".

His May 12 post claimed the media will cover up the impending arrests of celebrities for "major crimes against humanity" by using codewords about their coronavirus testing results.

Other posts have included a clip from the misinformation-filled documentary Plandemic, a chart implying that conspiracy theorist bogeyman Bill Gates influenced the Imperial College of London's COVID-19 modelling, and a Trump post.

Pete Evans did not respond to questions from BuzzFeed News about his posts.

While Evans has long peddled misinformation about fluoride and other wellness fads, he has recently begun using his enormous platform to share more extreme content that promotes a wide array of conspiracy theories. In early April, he posted a raft of content popular with 5G truthers, antivaxxers and chemtrail believers.

Some of these posts were framed as queries rather than endorsements. On an interview about Bill Gates, Evans wrote "interesting interview just launched. Thoughts?"

The shift in tone appears to be hurting his Facebook following - but only slightly. According to social media analytics site Crowdtangle, Evan's Facebook following peaked in early 2016 and has consistently and gradually fallen since then. But April was his worst month ever in raw follower numbers as he lost more than 3,700 fans.

On Instagram, though, Evans is trending up. Since Crowdtangle began tracking his account in early 2016, his follower count has grown. His follower count grew by more than 900 in April - but that was the smallest monthly growth for Evans this year (he had 2,700 new followers in January, 1,600 in February, and 1,600 in March).

While some fans have questioned why so many conspiracy theories are suddenly turning up in their feeds, others have fully embraced the shift. One follower commented on Evan's May 5 post about an interview with longtime conspiracy theorist David Icke: "Thank you so much for sharing…"

(continued)

https://www.buzzfeed.com/cameronwilson/Pete-Evans-qanon-conspiracy-instagram

—

Chef Pete Evans Instagram Post

Could this be true? And if so let's start at the imperial college of London and see what has flowed from their information. ????🌈. Comment if you like…and connect the dots. Interesting to search who also has shares in the bottom row 💰 If you thought multinational food ties to health authorities was interesting, this could be a whole other level.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_8rM_Vj3Hc/