Introducing the antivax AVN’s odious new public officer

The left side of the political spectrum was previously thought to be the home of conspiracy theorists. It has become increasingly apparent, for a number of years, that the right-wing has taken the mantle from the stereotypical mung-bean-loving, toxin-free hippies we once acknowledged as being at the heart of anti-vaccinationism.

Indeed, one of the first things I noticed in my short career following antivaxers is that antivaxers will lie down with any mangy, anti-Semitic, homophobic dog; this is concurrent with the rise of assholes like Alex Jones, and the conspiratorial new US President and his violent, baying, white nationalist, conspiracy theorist acolytes.

The Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network is a perfect example of this intermingling of people like Meryl Dorey – previously, sickeningly described by one author as a “kindly aunt” – a Jewish woman in charge of the AVN, in the antivax, hippy heartland of Australia, and the right-wing, MRA-inspired, anti-Semitic, homophobic elements with whom she associates, accepting the ugly misogyny and anti-Semitism of her peers with nary a whisper of dissent. This is anti-vaccinationism now: Donald Trump, Alex Jones, Pauline Hanson and other toxic-laden, wretched, cruel souls are the heroes.

Appropriately, the AVN has recently appointed its latest public officer. Wayne Baird is a right-wing conspiracy theorist from Tintenbar, in the NSW Northern Rivers; residing not far away from Dorey.

Readers would have caught a brief glimpse of Baird, eighteen months ago, when he joked about the assault and interment of me, Jill Hennessy, Jane Hansen, and Mia Freedman, on the Facebook profile of previous AVN public officer, Brett Smith:

On July 27 2017, Baird gave a comparatively sedate interview to the now-banned anti-vaccination zealot, Polly Tommey, in Byron Bay, as a part of the recent AVN/Vaxxed tour of Australia. A more extensive collection of the real Wayne Baird will be included down the page.

At 3:00 in the video excerpt, below, Baird states his recent inclusion on the AVN committee, and accepts Tommey’s order that he join the board of a new anti-vaccination organisation:

Baird: Recently, I became a committee member of the AVN

Tommey: We’re setting up Health Freedom Australia; so, we expect you to be on the board of that as well

Baird: Love to

More concerning are Baird’s statements, at 1:15 in this excerpt, that he is a foster carer of two indigenous girls, both of whom he will be fighting to ensure that they do not receive the HPV immunisation. Baird also claims that he has a medical doctor to help him in his anti-vaccination fight:

Baird: We have seven of our own children and two fostered daughters…you can’t  look after foster children if they’re not vaccinated…we’ll be fighting the HPV and we have a GP who’ll support us, so, when that time comes – one of them is seven tomorrow and the other is eight – they’re indigenous girls – when that time comes we will really make a strong stand.

These legally-obtained extracts show that Baird took over as the public officer of the AVN on June 13 2017. All redactions in the following documents are mine:

It is noted in the extract that Baird assumed the office, on June 13 2017, because the previous public officer, Brett Smith, no longer resided in New South Wales. Smith has now resided in the United States for some time, as a part of his cannabis growing operation which appears to be possibly gearing up for importation of the product into Australia. We can only hope the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Australian Federal Police will be casting a magnifying glass over this potential importer of therapeutic goods.

In an email to one of my colleagues, on May 13 2017, while Smith was still the public officer of the AVN, Smith boasted:

I’ve just been so busy with my medical cannabis venture. Spent two weeks in a wonderful facility in Israel and am now in Colorado where I’ve just physically planted over a 1000 seedlings. Imagine having a medicinal drug at your disposal with the efficacy and safety profile of cannabis?

This is the extract of Smith’s tenure as the AVN public officer, beginning on February 3 2017:

Regular readers would know Brett Smith as the anti-vaccination thug and abusive Twitter troll who – along with Belgin Colak of Anti-Vaccination Australia – doxxed, vilified and defamed a Byron Bay physiotherapist, his family, and his workplace, in the delusional belief that that physio is me.

Even more startling is that Brett Smith was appointed as the public officer of the AVN even after he had carried out this execrable attack on an innocent man and his family. Smith still repeats his false and defamatory slurs against the innocent physio, to this day.

Smith has a long history of offensive online trolling, including misogyny, false accusations of paedophilia, and threats of violence against other social media users too numerous to mention. And like most antivaxers, Smith also cares not with which excreta he associates.

In 2016, Smith tweeted this offensive homophobic rant from US right-wing anti-vaccination activist, Patrick Tim Bolen. The text from the blog post reads:

In short…

The so-called “skeptics” are a misinformation campaign run by angry male homosexuals masquerading as atheists whose management has a significant interest in pedophilia, its promotion and protection.  They have replaced the old “quackbuster” operation.

Lower level “skeptics,” I believe, are recruited young homosexual men…

It is absolutely fitting, then, that only yesterday, Meryl Dorey wrote a blog post for the very same violent, homophobic, right-wing website, The Bolen Report.

It’s like a perfect circle; the serpent sucking from its own cloaca:

This Wayne Baird collection contains everything you need to know about the man and those with whom he associates. It is still surprising what extent of hateful behaviour anti-vaccination activists will tolerate and condone, as long as their comrade is anti-vaccine.

On August 4 2017, Baird called US law professor Dorit Reiss a “Pharma whore”:

On July 27 2017, Baird hanging out with Vaxxed star, Brian Hooker:

Baird’s Facebook profile contains misogyny, anti-Semitism, the mocking of deaths from preventable diseases, homophobia, transphobia, Charlottesville false flag conspiracies, chemtrails, Port Arthur hoax conspiracies, a fixation on paedophilia, Pizzagate, Scientology, the promotion of the demented convicted criminal Chris Savage and his dangerous products, and an wealth of Breitbart and other equally discredited sources presented as fact. It is amazing. It is frightening. It is frightening to me that this person is a foster carer.

2017

Mocking deaths of aged care residents from influenza:

Charlottesville false flag conspiracy theory:

The serving public officer of the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network advocating his followers to leave false reviews on the Facebook page of surgeon, Mr John Cunningham:

Promotion of Scientology and its anti-psychiatry front, CCHR (this is a constant them for the AVN management, who once sold CCHR DVDs in their online store):

Chemtrails:

Calling the appearance of a bereaved parent with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull a publicity stunt as a part of some broader conspiracy theory:

Antivax quote from the 19th Century which even cites “Consumption”:

Obligatory scary antivax meme:

Lies about mercury in influenza immunisations:

Anti-Semitism:

Mocking chicken pox deaths, which is also a common theme for the AVN. Fit to Parent Network is an antivax Facebook page run by inept Queensland antivaxer, Allona Lahn:

Mockery of measles infection, a disease which has killed many in Europe in the past two years:

In 2016, deaths occurred in Romania (12) and the UK (1). In 2017, deaths were reported from Romania (20), Italy (3), Bulgaria (1), Germany (1), Portugal (1) and France (1).

It is striking that Baird mocks the measles infection of a patient who is hospitalised because of the virus:

The mockery of LGTBI persons, along with his fixation on paedophilia:

Pizzagate, ably assisted by fellow AVNer, Trent Wiseman:

Slut-shaming, whilst pretending to be concerned about women:

2016

One of the most heinous of anti-vaccination lies, the deadly campaign against the provision of Vitamin K:

The promotion of the delusional, convicted criminal, Chris Savage, and his potentially deadly, non-evidence-based treatments:

Anti-fluoride:

Port Arthur hoaxer lies from anti-Semitic, homophobic conspiracy site, The Crazz Files:

A conspiracy theory regarding the tragic death of severely mentally ill antivax activist, Andrew Moulden. Moulden’s family has commented on his death. It is no conspiracy:

Vile, misogynistic claim that journalist Jane Hansen is “hooking for Rupert Murdoch”:

Referring to Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy as a “mongrel”:

Meme which states that the fully-aware anti-vaccinationist knows that vaccines are “silent weapons for human farming: killing, sterilising, mind control…child abuse and a crime against humanity”:

2015

Fat-shaming of accomplished Belgian Social Affairs and Health Minister, Maggie De Block:

Anti-abortion post which equates abortion to to The Holocaust, ably supported with anti-Semitism from Belgin Colak:

Anti-Semitism:

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