This week on Q+A we ask have we traded away too many freedoms in the name of COVID safety? And are the lost freedoms being shared equitably in communities around the country?
With NSW due for a reopening next month, it’s clear the promised freedoms will be only for the vaccinated. How will vaccine passports work, who will miss out and will Sydney continue to see a Tale of Two Cities?
We’ll check the COVID outbreaks in regional Indigenous communities like Wilcannia where infection rates are alarmingly high and health resources scant.
We’ll also debate the appointment of the new Human Rights Commissioner and the parachuting of Kristina Keneally into a safe Labor seat.
Stan Grant hosts Q+A live from Sydney on Thursday, September 16 at 8.30pm AEST.
On the Panel
Dave Sharma
Liberal Member for Wentworth
Dave Sharma is the Liberal Party member for the seat of Wentworth, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Linda Burney
Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services
Linda Burney was elected federal member for Barton in 2016, following a 13 year career in the NSW Parliament as Member for Canterbury.
Mariam Veiszadeh
Lawyer and Diversity & Inclusion Champion
Mariam Veiszadeh is an Inclusion & Diversity practitioner, lawyer, social commentator and an award-winning human rights champion.
Khal Asfour
Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown
Khal Asfour is the Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown, one of the Sydney councils currently under heightened COVID restrictions.
John Lee
Foreign Affairs expert, United States Studies Centre
Dr John Lee is a Senior Fellow and adjunct professor at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC.