AP

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) recently found the Christian GP Dr Jereth Kok guilty of professional misconduct. Significantly, Dr Kok’s misdemeanours had nothing to do with medical misconduct, but with expressing personal viewpoints outside of what VCAT adjudicated is the Overton Window.

Just exactly what did Dr Kok’s misconduct involve? According to the Human Rights Law Alliance who represented him, “Over a 12-year period, Dr Kok shared posts critical of abortion, gender ideology, and COVID-19 policies… VCAT found that Dr Kok’s posts, among other things, were ‘disrespectful’ and ‘derogatory’, not sufficiently balanced or unbiased, and legitimised Covid vaccine hesitancy.”

Yes, you read that right, over a period of TWELVE YEARS!

Not even George Orwell in his dystopian classic, 1984 could have envisioned such a scenario. Orwell thought that history would be re-interpreted with the truth of what happened being literally consigned to a ‘memory hole’. In 2025 Victoria though, the internet has provided a permanent record of one’s ‘thought crimes’. 

At this point, you might be wondering like me, just exactly what did the good doctor publish? Let me give four examples of his ‘guilt’:

First, was his temerity in re-posting something from child rights advocate Katy Faust on the benefits of children being raised by a father and mother.

I’m completely at a loss at what was disrespectful involving this post, except maybe that the LGBTIQ people were not provided with a safe place where they could be celebrated and affirmed.

Second, Dr Kok decided to get even more edgy and criticise the narrative that there would be better health outcomes if everyone was social isolated and chose to be imprisoned in their homes.

Just for clarity, the above picture is from the fictional movie Gladiator, and so any likeness or resemblance to the people employed by VCAT is purely coincidental.

Third, Dr Kok shared a post by the American satire site The Babylon Bee involving the incorrect use of pronouns as a form of tactical warfare. This was so far reaching in its offensiveness that it received a measly two emoji response – one ‘laughing’ and the other ‘love’.

Does this mean that everyone who follows and re-posts material from The Babylon Bee is also guilty of professional misconduct? That’s opening up the proverbial pandora’s box!

Finally, all the way back in 2014, Dr Kok made a respectful post comparing the religion of Islam to Christianity, the point in question being why don’t we see any followers of Jesus perpetrating more acts of violence?

As you can see from above, Dr Kok went the “full Folau” by quoting directly from the Bible. (Just to clarify, Izzy Folau merely paraphrased 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 in the social media post which led to his contract being revoked). Just in case you missed it, Dr Kok quoted the apostle Paul as saying in Romans 12:17-21:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I’m sorry, but just precisely where is the ‘hate speech’ is that? Surely, it is commending the polar opposite.

All of which is to say, maybe VCAT should consider changing its name to ‘The Ministry of Truth’, in keeping with its gatekeeping role regarding freedom of speech and any associated thought crimes of “doublespeak”. And yet, sadly, we probably not have reached our peak Orwell.

Not until we also see the Ministry of Peace, Ministry of Plenty, and Ministry of Love also developed. But give it time. For such is the state of the government in Oceania, I mean, Victoria…

– Mark Powell