Court puts brakes on protest plans

A MAGISTRATE took about 10 minutes to refuse a Gold Coast man the ability to protest during the coronavirus restrictions.

Magistrate Cameron McKenzie yesterday took Arjay Martin step by step through how his application to hold a protest was not valid.

Mr Martin had applied to hold a protest against the coronavirus restrictions with his group, Reset Parliament Australia, in Surfers Paradise tomorrow. He estimated more than 99 people would attend.

Mr McKenzie said the notice was not valid as Mr Martin had not provided police with proposed stopping points and how long they would stop somewhere.

Mr McKenzie said it was a strict requirement of the Public Assembly Act that police be provided with any stoppage points to ensure the public was able to enjoy public space and business was able to continue.

He said that without providing notice of stopping points, the protest could, say, stop outside a business for two hours. Mr McKenzie accepted the police application that the protest could not go ahead.

JACK MCKAY AND JESSICA MARSZALEK

REGIONAL childcare centres that were at risk of closing down amid the pandemic will be able to stay open after a multi-million-dollar State Government commitment.

The Bulletin understands the State Government will spend $2 million to help keep open a number of council-run childcare centres that had been ineligible for JobKeeper and the early childhood education relief package.

“The economic impact of forcing parents out of work to care for their young children would be devastating for regional Queensland – wiping in excess of $54 million and 160 jobs from the economy,” Education Minister Grace Grace said.

Longreach Mayor Tony Rayner said without the help, his council would have been forced to consider closing its centre – which would have left almost 100 children without the option of childcare.

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell yesterday said childcare was an essential service for women in small business.