‘Selling out our national dignity’: Neil Mitchell slams Australian coronavirus response for bowing to China

Neil Mitchell has slammed the Australian response to the coronavirus outbreak, criticising our governments, universities and an elite Melbourne school for “bowing” to China.

“We say we’re a proud country. We say we stand up for ourselves, don’t bow to anybody… well, nobody but China,” the 3AW Mornings host said.

“Australia is into a full on cultural cringe now, kowtowing to China.

“It’s based around the coronavirus and money. We don’t want to offend China and risk losing their students, their market, their buying power.”

Neil said the federal government, state government, universities and Caulfield Grammar have sided with China rather than Australia amid the virus outbreak.

“We need Chinese businesses, but at the moment we are selling out our national dignity, we are selling out our principles. There is no national pride,” he said.

“We’ve got to choose between what’s right and what makes a dollar, and at the moment the dollar is winning.

“Potentially, that threatens our health.”

The 3AW Mornings host’s criticism comes after Caulfield Grammar dumped plans to name a new swimming complex after former student and elite swimmer Mack Horton, who famously criticised Chinese swimmer Sun Yang over a doping scandal.

“Mack Horton, great Olympic champion, lovely man, decent man, old boy of the school, a man who stands for clean sport, who fights against drug cheats, and that’s the problem!,” Neil said.

“Caulfield Grammar stood with the cheats, all because of a dollar! They’ve got a campus in China and they’ve got Chinese students, so decency ran second.”

Neil also slammed the federal government for not tightening the travel ban to stop Chinese travellers entering Australia, and universities for enabling Chinese students to travel here.

“We’ve allowed 1100 students to get around the travel ban and come here regardless,” he said.

“Western Sydney University is even giving those students $1500 each so they can go through a third country transit to get around the travel ban!”

Meanwhile, the Victorian government lit up landmarks across the city in the colours of the Chinese flag on Friday, in a campaign showing solidarity with the Chinese community.

“Let’s celebrate their atrocities, that’s what we’re doing. Let’s celebrate their abuse of human rights,” Neil said.

“None of this is aimed at the Chinese people. I am criticising their government, I am criticising our government, I am certainly criticising the Mack Horton decision.

“Two out of those three criticisms would have me locked up in China and never heard of again.”

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Image: Hirose Masaki / EyeEm