Help end this ridiculous lockdown and support small businesses by urging the NSW Government to exert common sense in the face of a crisis which has less to do with public health and more to do with fear and hysteria fuelled by alarmist politicians and misrepresentation in the media.

This current two-week lockdown imposed on Sydney is having a profound impact on affected small businesses. It leaves owners of businesses deemed "non-essential", including my own family, between a rock and hard place. If we open, we risk a ludicrous fine for $55000, put in place as a deterrent by this nonsensical government. However, in following their direction to close, we lose just as much cash in revenue anyways - the small guy simply can't win. We mustn't allow the government to dictate such wild policies to privately owned businesses or the citizenry at the snap of their finger. Politicians still receive their hefty salaries, while we suffer due to their incompetence. This includes the power-hungry, careerist doctors who occupy ranks of the bureaucracy in Health NSW, giving "directions" to the premier, who is also simply thinking of future re-election. These are hard truths to swallow for some, however all businesses deserve to be open and all citizens have a right to freedom. We must not allow this government to exert its authoritarian will on us. I should remind you that the government only exists to serve us, something at which they are presently failing with these lockdown antics.

This Petition is not a denial of the risk of the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it is simply a call to this nanny-state government to treat its citizens like adults and not young children. It is a call allow us citizens to partake in a known risk if we so choose to do so and give us our personal and economic freedom. Laughably, unnecessary designer labels have been allowed to maintain their shops open, while small businesses providing essential services such as hair salons, barber shops and the like have been shut, depriving thousands of NSW families of their income. It really seems like the elites are taunting us here. If they wish to buy some expensive shoes, they are free to do so, but if you would like to get a hair cut, I'm afraid it's too dangerous or so they say. To me it is unfair on the most fundamental of levels to allow large corporations to open their retail spaces in this lockdown, but not allow smaller businesses to run theirs. In fact, a five-year-old has enough moral development to see that this is the case.

As a short case study, alcohol-attributed diseases account for about 6000 deaths a year here in Australia (NDRI.curtin.edu.au 2019), while the current total number of deaths attributed to SARS-CoV-2 in Australia is 910. Yet, the government doesn't ban alcohol and nor do they close liquor stores as a result of "lockdown" due to "alcohol-related lifestyle disease". It sounds rather comical on second glance. Is this a proportionate or frankly fair response to lock us down and close small business that the government deems "non-essential"? What does that even mean? Who gets to determine whether the business you poured so much of your time and effort into is essential or not? Why should our personal agency be compromised? Especially considering that these deaths occurred almost exclusively in the elderly aged 70+, with most deaths in 80+ and 90+ categories (https://www.health.gov.au/resources/covid-19-deaths-by-age-group-and-sex). 

We are all essential to this economy and we must not allow these Orwellian measures to exist for a second more, as every moment that passes is another diminishment to our freedom and our right to choose. If you are a small business owner, or simply a concerned citizen, I implore you to sign this petition in order to end this madness and bring this lockdown to an end immediately. Your support can make a huge difference and is greatly appreciated, thank you.