This morning I interviewed Paul Funnell who is a councillor in Wagga Wagga NSW.
Paul put to the council that they should cut ties with their Chinese sister-city Kunmin because the “Chinese Communist Government that delights in lies, subterfuge and coverups” has brought “death and destruction across the world with COVID-19”.
The motion passed.
Since then, Paul has been attacked by the usual control freaks labelling him racist and xenophobic.
Here is his story
Transcript
[Malcolm Roberts] Hi. I’m with Paul Funnell on Skype, and Paul is a sheep and irrigation farmer from southern New South Wales around Wagga Wagga. He’s also a councillor on the Wagga Wagga council. And last week he moved a motion to repeal or to end the sister city relationship that Wagga Wagga has with Kunming in China. You didn’t expect it to pass, but it did.
[Paul Funnell] No, I didn’t, Malcolm. It was about putting it up out of principle because I don’t want to be in a relationship with the CCP, which is what the Kunming provincial government actually is, it is the CCP. And with the coverups, etc., with COVID-19, I just felt it was time, enough’s enough. And that’s why I stood my ground. But of course it got up, right to my surprise.
[Malcolm Roberts] So here’s an everyday Aussie standing up for his beliefs, getting it through the council, and you’re just doing what you think is right. Now, you have got nothing against the Chinese people. In fact, you’re getting a lot of support from Chinese people including those in Communist China. But what your beef is is that you don’t want to be associated with the Communist Party of China that’s ruling that country by force, and you just want to dissociate yourself from it, not continue to condone them.
[Paul Funnell] That’s correct, Malcolm. This is nothing to do with the Chinese people. In fact, I’m trying to help the Chinese people. And that’s what this is all about. It’s not just a totalitarian regime, it is the most brutal regime in world history. And we are tacit in approving what they do by remaining in this soft infiltration. Because this is what they do through the sister city programmes. And eventually, you have to draw a line in the sand. And that’s what I’ve done.
[Malcolm Roberts] Well, good on you, mate. And now, you were expecting a lot of pushback, but surprisingly you got it through. Then the pushback came with the left and the control freaks in our society.
[Paul Funnell] Correct. And I thought it might upset a few people of the left-leaning persuasion, and the nice people. And there’s nothing wrong with being nice, but they don’t understand what they’re dealing with here. They don’t realise that we’re actually in bed with a brutal communist regime. So yes, I thought we might get a little bit of pushback around here in Wagga, but it absolutely exploded. It has gone global.
[Malcolm Roberts] But it’s been in support of you, not against you.
[Paul Funnell] In support of me, yes. I am getting support from all over the world. Obviously a lot of the Chinese nationals and Chinese Australians and people from all over. Some of them, however, only contact me directly through my text or email privately, because, as they say, they still have family living in China and they’re afraid. And of course, this speaks volumes to what this whole situation has brought out. But if that doesn’t make us stop and think, “We don’t want to be in this relationship,” and if we can’t stand up. And they are so pleased. So many of them have said, the majority, they’re so pleased that they finally found a politician, which, of course, local government is certainly far from being a politician, has actually stood up to help them. So it’s just been overwhelming. But of course the vitriol and the hatred that has come from the opposition is just absolutely astounding. But that speaks volumes.
[Malcolm Roberts] Here in Australia, Paul?
[Paul Funnell] Here in Australia, absolutely. I’ve received many threats, as in death threats. I can produce those documents. And it’s quite disheartening, actually, to think that people could be so vitriolic and so interested or disinterested in wanting to stand up for people and for what is right. But unlike in China, I will defend their right to do so, because we have a democracy where they have that choice.
[Malcolm Roberts] So you’re standing up on behalf of your constituents and on behalf of your own principles, and what you’ve been surprised by is the lack of interest from the mainstream media in this country, the vitriolic response and attacks on you personally, just by voicing your concerns, which got through council. Now you’re expecting it to be rescinded tomorrow, Wednesday, at the shire council meeting, correct?
[Paul Funnell] Correct. The mayor has called an extraordinary meeting because, as he said, he’s appalled. He thinks we’ve done irreparable damage, and there’s an absolute pile-on. But of course all that’s done is built my resolve to show, because he wants to apologise to the CPP for causing any harm, to the extent where the council general, I mean, this has drawn the ire of the council general of the Chinese embassy in Sydney, where he put out a media release last week. And in it, he actually states that my actions and I should be restrained. I mean, doesn’t that speak volumes? So we have drawn the ire of the Chinese consulate. This has has gone global. It is being reported in China and all over the world. And it’s interesting that the ire actually proves my point, as this is what we’re dealing with.
[Malcolm Roberts] And what’s happening is you’re getting a lot of support from mainstream Australians, everyday Aussies. You’re getting a lot of support from Chinese people all around the world. You’re getting interest from all around the world. And yet, the locals, media, won’t pay any attention and you’re getting attacked by some people who oppose what you’re doing. They just won’t leave you alone.
[Paul Funnell] No, that’s right. It runs from about six o’clock in the morning to one o’clock the following morning every day. but that’s fine. What they don’t realise is in, probably being a typical Aussie or whatever, I’ll just dig my heels in. I’m a reasonable person. I will defend their right to having a differing opinion to me. I will absolutely defend their right. Interestingly, the local media here immediately around Wagga, I can only say, must be left-leaning, because they’re giving an absolute dump and pile-on, even to the editorials, to say that my moral judgement should be assessed and I should be turfed out. I mean, it’s quite mind-boggling. Professors from our wonderful academic institutes are saying, it’s in the Daily Advertiser today, actually stating that Australia and America are also complicit in this COVID-19. I mean, it’s just astounding that this is the way our media has gone.
[Malcolm Roberts] Yeah, it’s crazy. Last week, I came out and made a tweet. Two weeks ago, I made a tweet that went around the world. And it’s got enormous support from just about every continent, saying that we need to hold the Chinese Communist Party responsible for the COVID virus, because they suppressed the news of it, they shut down doctors who wanted to talk about it publicly, to raise public awareness. The World Health Organisation came in and supported that shutting it down, and the World Health Organisation and China have colluded to make sure that the West didn’t know what was going on. That’s cost us more lives, delayed our response. We’re having a pandemic because of something that was released in China and because of suppression of that in China. And what you’re saying is you want truth, and just to wrap up, you’re saying we should end the sister city relationship between Wagga Wagga and the Kunming area because of the Chinese Communist Party’s role and rule over Kunming. That’s what you’re against.
[Paul Funnell] That is absolutely what I’m against. This is the same municipal government that actually has, it’s documented, in current times, of torture camps, of abuse against their own people. That is who we are in the relationship with, not the good people of Kunming. It’s the regime we’re in the relationship. That regime is the CCP, who has allowed this unleashing of this COVID-19, which has absolutely devastated world economies. Hundreds of thousands have died. Millions are infected. It’s going to take generations to pay back the debt. And everyone wants to turn around and walk everywhere else, but yet remain in our city council wants to harangue me and turn around and say, “Oh, no, it’s all nice. “We want to remain in a relationship with these people.” You’ve got to be kidding me.
[Malcolm Roberts] To be in a relationship, it has to be mutually respectful. And when they’re talking about cutting you off or suppressing you, what was the word?
[Paul Funnell] Restrain.
[Malcolm Roberts] Restraining you. Then that’s hardly mutually respectful, because you’re a citizen of a foreign country and their consulate wants to restrain you for that. Now, as I understand it, a lot of people have now contacted the Wagga Wagga council and are wanting this to continue, not to be rescinded tomorrow.
[Paul Funnell] That’s correct. There’s been enormous amount– The pendulum has swung the other way, actually. There’s been dozens and dozens of emails going through to all councillors. And there’s hard, factual evidence that’s being put through as to what we’re dealing with. So this will be on their conscience. This will be their decision. And all I want is an open and transparent and a fair relationship with any governing body anywhere in the world. But if we can’t have that, we cannot be complicit and give tacit approval and say, “Oh, we want to do our economic up here but we’re not going to look at what’s going over there.” There comes a point in time. I believe this is the time. And I urge everyone to stand up. I urge councils everywhere, people of all levels.
[Malcolm Roberts] And you’re getting a lot of support from the Chinese people themselves under Communist rule, also around the world, who are outside of China. And in Australia, local Chinese people who you admire and respect, and you’re trying to help them as well.
[Paul Funnell] That’s what I’m trying to do. I want to help the people. I want to be in a relationship with the people. I do not and will not be in a relationship with a brutal regime that has unleashed this on the world, and we know that that is a fact.
[Malcolm Roberts] Thank you very much, Paul.
[Paul Funnell] My pleasure, Malcolm. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.
