The comments, made during a Facebook Live interview with Informed Medical Opinions Party candidate and self-appointed ‘natural immunity community’ leader Allona Lahn, came during a discussion on public health communication during the pandemic.
Mr. Evans intimated that an apparent inability of people in power to answer ‘simple questions’ from journalists was indicative of ‘deceit’ that manifests itself in physical illness.
‘These people do not answer the questions that the public need answers to, because the illusion, the theatre, would crumble,’ he said.
‘No one would come back. It’s as simple as that. You have dishonest people in positions of power and authority … they are deceitful, they are liars, they are incompetent and there is a disease that will set into these people for the corruption and for the lies that they perpetrate. You will see it.’
He then went on to immediately refer for former RACGP President Dr. Harry Nespolon’s battle with pancreatic cancer.
‘I recently had, this year, the President of the Royal Australian College of GPs, a fellow called Harry Nespolon, he went onto Ben Fordham’s 2GB talk show radio [sic] and questioned my mental health,’ he said.
‘Two months later that doctor passed away. Pancreatic cancer. Condolences to his family.’
In a series of unfinished sentences, Mr. Evans then refers to an unspecified number of people he has ‘helped’ through cancer by encouraging them to look at treatment through a ‘holistic lens’.
‘The number of people that we have helped come through cancer through looking at a holistic lens [sic] – holistic means embracing modern medicine as well as natural medicine – the number of people that we have helped get off pharmaceutical drugs, the number of people that have reversed their terminal illnesses, that have no longer autoimmune disease [sic], that have put things into remission or severely reduced their medication.
‘The number of people that are no longer depressed or suffer anxiety through looking through a holistic lens. I wish that doctor had had had the courage to have a chat.
‘It’s very sad what happened to that gentleman, and I wish it never happened. But when you have people that are in positions of power, or experts in their chosen field of medicine, that still do not know how to deal with disease and illness, that still succumb to these diseases and illnesses – yet they’re the experts in these chosen industries – may speak volumes [sic]. May. May.’
In response to the attack, RACGP Acting President Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda called on Mr. Evans to immediately retract his ‘completely unacceptable’ comments and apologize to Dr. Nespolon’s family.
‘Harry was a great man who is sorely missed by many people, including me. Even when he was given a terminal cancer diagnosis, Harry continued to fight and provide outstanding leadership until he could no longer hold on,’ he said.
‘I promised that I would find a way to honor his work and advocacy and that includes defending his legacy from the likes of Pete Evans.
‘Harry deserves far better than this. Hang your head in shame, Mr. Evans.’
Mr. Evans’ comments caused an outcry on social media, with people from various areas of healthcare voicing the disapproval of the ‘disgraceful comments’.
Source: racgp.org.au
