Australia is considering plans to deploy a civilian-led “national guard” for the next time that the country imposes its draconian lockdowns.
According to The West Australian, the Australian Federal Police Association is calling for a “feasibility study” into the idea as part of its inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.
The paper reports:
Police forces nationwide were stretched to capacity during the pandemic, with officers forced to juggle normal frontline duties with emergency tasks including patrolling borders checkpoints, enforcing social distancing rules and managing quarantine.
In its submission to the inquiry, the AFPA said it was worth considering setting up a “national guard” to free up police officers to focus on their main job. The national guard in the US is essentially a civilian defence force which is regularly deployed into domestic emergencies, including natural disasters.
In its submission to authorities, the AFPA explained that “National guard personnel could be given special powers during a declared incident, such as biosecurity checking, the authority to request personal details, or the power to stop and detain for suspected breaches of pandemic or natural disaster restrictions.”
Meanwhile, AFPA president Alex Caruana argued that the police’s committment to enforcing the rules meant that regular policing “wasn’t getting the attention that it needed”.
>“In order to make sure that organised crime doesn’t capitalise on that, it is important that we are least consider it (a national guard) and look at the merits of having something set up,” he said. “Whether that be a national guard, or something similar, to fill that gap where it’s not policing and it’s not the military.”
Such a proposal will likely send a shiver down the spine of many Australians, millions of whom suffered immensely during the country’s draconian lockdown regime.
As part of their various measures “imposed” by federal and regional governments, healthy individuals were prevented from going outside for fresh air or even sitting on their balconies. Those entering the country were also forced to stay in specialized hotels where leaving their rooms would have exposed them to criminal investigation.
