Over the last week, the COVID caseload in Australia has skyrocketed, with an additional 750,000 confirmed new cases and likely far more unreported thanks to test shortages and delays. The health system is overwhelmed, the economy is reeling, and gaps are beginning to appear on supermarket shelves. Much of the blame should be directed at Scott Morrison’s federal Liberal government.

Despite this, the news has been dominated by Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic. After being granted an exemption from vaccination requirements and a visa to compete in the Australian Open, the authorities cancelled his visa early last week. Then he successfully appealed the cancellation, before immigration minister Alex Hawke stepped in on Friday to use his special ministerial powers to cancel it once again. Although Djokovic is appealing the decision, it seems likely that he will be deported and, as a result, automatically barred from reentering Australia for three years.

It’s true that Djokovic blatantly flouted public health guidelines in Europe late last year by refusing to isolate after returning a positive test. It’s also true that he’s a self-absorbed anti-vaxxer with delusions of martyrdom. Yet immigration minister Hawke’s justification for revoking his visa is far from plausible. He has claimed that Djokovic’s presence will encourage anti-vaxxers, pose a threat to public health, and may spark “civil unrest.”