Yahoo Finance Tony Abbott cops $500 fine, slams ‘snitching’
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has copped a $500 fine for not wearing a mask out in public while in Manly on Wednesday.
Abbott was pictured by a member of the public who then sent the image to the NSW Police before Abbott was fined on Friday night.
But, despite saying he wouldn’t contest the fine Abbott slammed the community member implying their actions were un-Australian.
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“I just want to say two things. First, I believe that I was well within the law, reasonably interpreted,” he told the media.
“Second, I never thought dobbing and snitching was part of the Australian character.
“I think as soon as we can leave this health police state mindset behind us, the better for everyone.”
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard refused to comment on Abbott specifically but urged the pubic to comply with the public health orders.
"I am not going to talk about individual cases," he told the media.
"It does not matter who you are, whatever station you have in life. There are [health] orders. Nobody likes to have these orders, but it is to keep everybody safe and I hope people will comply with the orders."
The NSW health orders currently mandate that everyone in the Greater Sydney region must wear a mask while outdoors at all times, unless exempt.
This comes as NSW recorded 1599 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest the state has recorded in the pandemic.
Frustrations have been building as those in coastal suburbs flock to Sydney’s most iconic beaches, while those in LGAs of concern are kept under strict lockdowns.
Images of packed beaches have been hitting social media leading to many complaining of double standards.
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