NEWSFLASH
US anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny has announced the cancellation of her Australian speaking tour, citing 'bomb threats' to those venues that had agreed to continue with bookings made before widespread opposition erupted about the intention of the tour. Refunds will be made to those who purchased tickets
An online petition has been launched to encourage immigration authorities to refuse entry to US anti-vaccination crusader, Sherri Tenpenny.
Dr Tenpenny is an osteopath who believes vaccines cause autism, asthma, ADHD and auto-immune disorder. She has planned a multi-city lecture series in March aimed at the parents of young children. The tour is supported by anti-vaccination lobbyists gathered around the now-discredited Vaccination Awareness Network that began in the Northern Rivers more than a decade ago.
According to ABC reports the golf club booked for the Sydney meeting has now cancelled the event.
Petition organizer Ellie Aragon writes online that, “As one of the leaders in a global anti-vaccine cult, Sherri Tenpenny represents a danger to Australian children and society as a whole due to her extremist and uneducated views regarding vaccination.
“Her beliefs include that vaccines have never been proven safe or effective and that vaccines do not work. Not only are these outlandish claims proven to be wrong time and time again by scientific research, they are a very real threat to society when people start to believe in them.
“She preys on the vulnerable, naive and uneducated who don't question the outdated and unproven sources she selectively spoon feeds them.”
The petition is directed to the Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton – until recently the Health Minister – and argues that Dr Tenpenny should be denied a visa on the grounds of not meeting character requirements.
On the Department of Immigrations website it clearly states that those "who want to enter or stay in Australia must satisfy the character requirement as set out in Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958...
“It is evident that Tenpenny does not meet the following requirements as her visiting Australia and speaking at conferences would:
• incite discord in the Australian community or in a part of it
• be a danger to the Australian community or a part of it.
She is also otherwise not of good character.”
