New Victoria restrictions

Supafreak's picture
Supafreak started the topic in Sunday, 2 Aug 2020 at 3:15pm

Just watched the press release from Dan Andrews and I really feel for how victorians are going to once again pay for others stupidity. Not sure how they are going to police the 1 hour exercise policy but a trip down the coast for a surf could be costly. I understand these new restrictions are mainly Melbourne suburbs and I’m very grateful for where I live NSW Qld border. When we were in shutdown there was no time limit for our exercise thank god as a 3 hour surf kept me sane after losing my job.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 5:25pm

"Speaking of the wife beater, he got arrested today lol

"

Be interesting to see if he get's off, if he really is allowed to be there as media?

He has been arrested twice in the last year or so, but both times police have dropped charges as they didnt really have a reason to charge him, this time with this issue could be different.

Oh well, l dont agree with this whole anti lockdown crap, but it is his job to get out there and report this stuff from street level, if people like him didnt do it we wouldn't get the unique insight into all these different issues that he brings.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 5:48pm

Vic Local .....does it matter if there was some extenuating circumstances if they were convicted of domestic abuse before you hated someone into perpetuity ?

Or is it just weak and unforgivable and the men ( or women ) responsible should be shunned by society ?

I’m not defending this Ari bloke but it seems to me you’re negligating everything he will ever do or say because he threw a chopping board at someone once .

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 5:36pm

Oh please Caspar Dreaming,
Just give it up. Avi is a wife basher. He threw a chopping board and it hit the victim in the head. He didn't offer any first aid and he didn't apologise. It wasn't an accident.
Was it also an accident him using a carriage service to harass Sarah Lyford, now his ex-wife, on three occasions?
Oh Avi, accidentally typed in threatening messages, put in his wife's phone number and pressed send on three occasions.
Was it also an accident him getting sued for defamation by his family members when he wrongly accused them of harbouring pedophiles?

Face it brother, the" journalist" you think has credibility is a violent bullshit artist in it for the $$$. His family and the Jewish community know him well, and they hate his guts.

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 5:47pm

I hope the cops chuck the book at the wife basher. It will be interesting to see if he tries to claim he's a journalist and was carrying out essential work. I'm tipping that line is going to fail, because real journalists don't wilfully misrepresent the facts to increase the size of the grift.
Hats off to the cops, they must be so sick of the shit stirring garden gnome. They did well not to bring out the baton.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 5:49pm

“ Real journalists don’t misrepresent the facts “

Classic.

You read the New York Times lately ?

Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 5:50pm

"wife basher"..... Thats what some of u took out of the video showing Vic police arresting a former soldier..... If the presenter was a white christian, would his "wife beating ways" be an issue? Remember the woman and 2 kids set on fire in Brisbane earlier this year? He was white... Football players.... White....
It's incredible that some of you are soooooo focused on the islamic news reader, and not the cops bahahahahahaha

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 6:03pm

" His family and the Jewish community know him well, and they hate his guts."

Below is from his website, which clearly indicates he had a challenging upbringing, one of his brothers does do videos with him sometimes.

"Avi Yemini grew up in an ultra-orthodox Jewish home of 17 children.

Avi is the tenth child. He was born the night his family moved to Melbourne.

Yemini got kicked out of home at 13-years-old. He spent time on the streets, in group homes and foster care. His teens spent mostly addicted to heroin and often in trouble with the law.

At nineteen, Avi Yemini volunteered to join the Israel Defence Force in a bid to kick his addiction and do something meaningful with his life. His time as a Golani marksman changed him for the better.

After serving almost three years in Gaza, Avi Yemini returned to Australia to start his well-known IDF Training gyms.

Yemini sold his gyms in 2016.

Today, Avi Yemini is a valued citizen journalist for the online-British publication, TR News."

https://aviyemini.com.au/about-avi-yemini/

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 6:08pm

Sheepdog.

Only one fool used that as an excuse to negate the message and it was because he’s a scared old man who wants everyone else to forfeit their lives so he can go about his life freely and without risk.

Scared old fuck should be locked inside his house 23 hours a day himself if the threat is so imminent.

views from the cockpit's picture
views from the cockpit's picture
views from the ... Saturday, 5 Sep 2020 at 11:54pm

Throwing a chopping board and sending a few threatening texts doesn't seem that beyond the realm under certain circumstances especially breakdown of marriage.
Those Ultra Orthodox Jewish crew are weird as but generally keep to themselves.

But how was the getup on the cops- military, heavy, armed to the teeth, ridiculous, expensive and taxpayer funded.
Now THAT should be upsetting to everyone!

views from the cockpit's picture
views from the cockpit's picture
views from the ... Sunday, 6 Sep 2020 at 12:05am

Ha check the Vid. Party on people!!!
https://crowd.in/JVeDp5

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Sunday, 6 Sep 2020 at 9:23pm

Can only see the this roadmap pushing people into breaking the rules, or further into their extreme views.

Already saw it yesterday and today - a marked increase in people lounging about at the park, groups of people playing basketball etc. etc.

Can only imagine the anti-lockdown crowd/plandemics/trump supporters/anti-vaxxers/anti-maskers/anti-dandrews crowd will get bigger and stronger. I feel this is not being properly addressed by the Government, and is being glossed over. It's a real risk of causing further spikes in numbers. Also - stronger police presence and arrests only fuels their fire.

It would have been a better strategy to have eased off more in some of the softer areas, to win more people over. This could be problematic.

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Sunday, 6 Sep 2020 at 9:44pm

Agreed stok,
The best thing that could happen to Victoria would be for the opposition to stop undermining the social distancing message and back the medical experts trying to reduce the number of infections. It's working. Don't fuck it up now.
People like Tim Smith, Sam Newman, O'Brien, Tom Elliot, Fanos, Jeff Kennett, and Avi the wife basher, are just opportunistic arseholes who don't have any solutions, but they are keen to use the pandemic to further their fucked up agendas.
These people are nothing more than a pack of dickheads who couldn't care less about public health. They only care about their bank balance and chances of forming government at the next election.
They are nothing more than irresponsible dogs.
Stay safe people and do the right thing by your fellow citizens.

factotum's picture
factotum's picture
factotum Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 12:53am

For dog's sake! Still Avi?! A 'journalist'?!

Here we go AGAIN.

"Yappy serial pest Avi Yemini was detained by police yesterday.

This grifting propagandist - sponsored by a right-wing network dedicated to Islamophobic shite & rubbing shoulders with a variety of antisemites (strange for an ultra right Jewish dude?!) (https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wjz73q/inside-rebel-medias-big-money-...) - was convicted of abusing his former partner last year (see : https://slackbastard.anarchobase.com/?p=46704).

He also has a history of hanging with nazis (https://ajds.org.au/2018/06/avi-yemini-consorts-nazis/), including fellow serial pest N*!l Er!ks0n, convicted of stalking a rabbi in 2014."

But then the besties fell out.

I dunno who's more fucking idiotic in their weird world. Them or their fans.

factotum's picture
factotum's picture
factotum Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 1:15am

"If you're unaware, the reason Avi Yemini was put down by coppers is because he has a 3+ year history of provoking attendees at rallies to gather footage for vids. He's an alt-right grifter. He established this antagonistic relationship with rallies, and therefore cops, years ago.

Mind you, this particular rally I imagine him to be broadly in support of. It's not the kind of left rally he's usually found baiting people at.

However, it explains the way police immediately leapt on him. That's what they do with Avi specifically. Not all journos.

I'm not really condoning it. Just explaining it.

Avi is constantly yapping and jumping up & down about whatever he thinks is a great angle worth a few vids. Now it's 'COMMIE VICPOL ATTACKS JOURNALIST!' Just wanted to clarify why that's garbage. Avi's a chihuahua, not a journo."

- Tom Tanuki

views from the cockpit's picture
views from the cockpit's picture
views from the ... Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 2:06am

How annoying are dimwits who don't want to listen to the experts!!!
Please read below letter in its entirety.
Then...RISE UP VICTORIANS-write to the premier, protest, march, attack the Govt. get a convoy of 1000's of surfers down the Geelong Rd and smash through the blockades.

31 August 2020

Mr Daniel Andrews
Office of the Premier
1 Treasury Place, Melbourne 3002
By e-mail: [email protected]

Dear Premier,

An Alternative Medical Response to Covid-19

We, the undersigned, are senior medical practitioners of various specialities who practice in Victoria and are deeply concerned with the Victorian government’s management of the SARS- CoV-2 (Covid-19) viral pandemic as a public health issue.

The purpose of this letter is to make you aware that not all medical practitioners are in agreement with the Chief Medical Officer and the Victorian government regarding the most effective way to control this disease. We believe that an alternative medical response is required that reflects what we know about the spread of the virus, those who have died from it, and the impact that the stage 3- 4 lockdown restrictions are having on the physical and mental health of the general population. For the sake of people in Victoria with other medical illnesses, it is vital that Stage 4 restrictions be lifted on schedule in mid-September.

This letter details our concerns and recommendations. We are ready to offer any assistance we can to help create and implement a revised, effective and just response to the Victorian situation; to this end we would be pleased to meet with you at your convenience to discuss the matter further.

Government Response to Covid-19 and Available Data

Focusing on the numbers of cases of Covid-19 is at best an unsophisticated way of looking at disease management. Factors such as the side effects of any policy, its cost effectiveness, the quality of life years lost, and the cost per life saved are fundamental when considering disease management. In addition, any policy to manage any disease must be reviewed in light of new data.

We believe that the government’s initial response to handling Covid-19, via a stage 3 lockdown to ‘flatten the curve’, was reasonable in view of the limited information available at the time on the outbreak in China and the alarming number of deaths in Italy. The initial response, though arguably excessive, was still highly effective in preserving medical capacity and allowing time to co-ordinate a full medical response, with the community accepting that the social and economic consequences were reasonable and for the common good.

However, we now know that whilst Covid-19 is highly contagious, it is of limited virulence. Whilst an accurate cause of death of a person can be difficult to determine, we are told that since March 2020, 565 Victorian patients have died either with or from the virus (31st August numbers). This compares with annual Victorian deaths of approximately 10,000 patients with cardiovascular disease and 11,000 with cancer. Accordingly, the Covid-19 deaths are a relatively small proportion of the 114 deaths per day that are normally seen in Victoria. In comparison, since the start of March Covid-19 has been associated with 3 of the 114 deaths per day.

Most of the 565 deaths have occurred in nursing homes which according to doctors currently working in this environment have described causal factors related not only to the virus but to other care related issues, including isolation, loneliness, and related diminished nutritional intake.

However, in Victoria we have had 541 LESS deaths this July compared to July last year. (3,561 deaths compared to 4,102 deaths in July 2019)

In Australia last year, 2019, in the month of July alone we had 71,000 new laboratory confirmed cases. And a total of 313,000 laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza for the year. This is only a fraction of the actual total cases of influenza, as many cases go untested.

In August 2017 we had 99,000 new laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza and a total of over 250,000 cases for the year.
During 2017 and 2019 Influenza resulted in 25-30,000 hospital admissions and up to 2500 ICU admissions across Australia. 3% of hospital admissions were pregnant women and up to 18% were under the age of 16.

The deaths from Influenza each and every year is between 3500 and 4000 according to the Australian Influenza Specialist Interest Group website and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is despite recent excellent rates of vaccination in the vulnerable population and millions of vaccinations utilised each year. (2020,18 million, 2019 13.2 million, 2018 11 million, 2016 8.3 million)

The vast majority of deaths associated with Covid-19 have occurred in frail people over 80 years, many of whom also had significant co-morbidities. In Victoria more than 73% of known Covid-19 deaths resided in nursing homes. (381 out of 524 and 30 out of 52 in NSW, as of 30th of August).

For people who are physically well and under 60 years of age, the mortality risk is extremely low. Contrary to what you have said, Mr Andrews, the virus DOES discriminate. See graphs below.
Since June 2020, the death rate has risen sharply in aged care facilities where the risk of transmission of Covid-19 has been unacceptably high. However, the government, and the doctors advising it, have not reviewed their policy in order to focus on this vulnerable segment of the population. Instead, stage 3-4 lockdowns for the whole community have continued for no apparent scientific reason.

Medical and Social Consequences of the Government’s Current Policy

As medical practitioners, it is our collective experience that patients are presenting later to us with their medical complaints. Specialist referrals from GPs, and indeed GP workload, have fallen dramatically due to patients’ reluctance to leave home in fear of acquiring the virus. As a direct consequence of this delay, many will have poorer prognoses. This has especially been the case with consultants who treat cancer. A study in the UK estimated an extra 4000 deaths from not screening the four main cancers alone and not from lack of treatment.

In addition, it is our professional opinion that the stage 4 lockdown policy has caused unprecedented negative economic and social outcomes in people, which in themselves are having negative health outcomes. In particular, it has caused or exacerbated depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, as well as contributed to domestic violence, through an extreme and unjustified disruption to family, social and work life. Job losses, home schooling, the isolation of the elderly and single people and the restriction on the number of people who may attend funerals, are but a few examples of how the government’s current response is harming the health of the general population.

In short, the medical, psychological and social costs of the lockdown are disproportionately enormous compared to the limited good being done by current policies, and are relevant factors to be taken into account by any responsible government.

Proposed Amendments to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic)

We further note with much concern, that the proposed amendment to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act that would effectively allow the government to continue its current policy to manage Covid-19 even if there were to be zero cases over a period of time. This is unfathomable and certainly contrary to the objects of the Act, which require accountability, proportionality and collaboration to be fulfilled.
Specifically, the legislation explicitly mandates that the government’s decisions on public health initiatives must be transparent, systematic and appropriate, with members of the public given access to reliable information in appropriate forms to facilitate a good understanding of the issue. In addition, the legislation acknowledges that decisions will be enhanced through collaboration between all levels of government and industry, business, communities and individuals.

Recommendations
For all these reasons, ordinary sensible people if properly informed, should inevitably conclude that the current government policy is ill focussed, heavy handed, and unjustifiable as a proportionate response to the risks posed by Covid-19 to the public’s health.
As the virus is not going away soon, and an effective vaccine may not be available for a considerable period of time, if at all, we respectfully call upon the government to do the following:
1. The State of Emergency not be continued past September 13th with an agreement made for parliament to be allowed to openly discuss and debate appropriate medical plans to manage the current Covid-19 crisis. A panel of non-politically aligned medical and health-related experts be selected by a bi-partisan parliamentary group to provide the transparent and active role of informing and advising government decisions and responses to the epidemic.
2. Ensure adequate measures, testing, and protection of the vulnerable, especially those in Aged Residential Care environments and their families and carers.
3. Clearly communicate to the public the medical evidence-base, objectives and timelines of any proposed future management plans, with open disclosure of the processes and negative consequences, to inform those discussions and decisions.
4. A broader focus be given to the health and well-being of Victorians, by utilising all relevant available data and by calculating the costs and harms, including the social, economic, family, emotional, psychological and spiritual impacts on the community, of any decisions and plans to manage the Covid-19 crisis, thereby explaining and justifying the merits of these plans as a reasonable and proportionate response.
5. To review regularly the outcomes of any management decisions and demonstrate a willingness to modify plans as new data and insights become available.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter. We look forward to your early response.

Yours faithfully,
Lead Authors:
Mr Geoff Wells, Consultant Urologist.
Mr Bob Millar, Transplant Surgeon.
Mr Jonathan Baré, Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Dr Eamonn Mathieson, Consultant Anaesthetist.
Dr Nick Gelber, Consultant Radiologist.

Lead Signatories:
Professor John Murtagh, AO Academic General Practitioner, Monash University.
Professor John Martin AO, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Melbourne.
Professor Haydn Walters, Respiratory Medicine, University of Tasmania.
Professor Kuruvilla George, Geriatric Psychiatrist.
Assoc. Prof Andrew Shimmin, Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Dr Andrew See, Radiation Oncologist.
Dr Antonio Grossi, Consultant Anaesthetist.
Mr Michael Knight, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Mr Peter Denton, General Surgeon.
Mr William Edwards, Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Dr Andrew Taylor, Consultant Gastroenterologist.
Dr John Mathai, Consultant Psychiatrist.
Dr Suresh John, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist.
*The signatories do not represent the opinions of their employers.

Graphs not attached

Sebamo's picture
Sebamo's picture
Sebamo Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 7:24am

Trying to convince my fiancé to move up north. Looks like another 6 weeks without waves, stuck in a shoebox in Richmond. Feeling for all Melbourne based surfers now, and to all you other pricks with freedom, shred the shit out of waves for us, but be humble.

Sebamo's picture
Sebamo's picture
Sebamo Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 7:26am

Trying to convince my fiancé to move up north. Looks like another 6 weeks without waves, stuck in a shoebox in Richmond. Feeling for all Melbourne based surfers now, and to all you other pricks with freedom, shred the shit out of waves for us, but be humble.

Sebamo's picture
Sebamo's picture
Sebamo Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 7:26am

Trying to convince my fiancé to move up north. Looks like another 6 weeks without waves, stuck in a shoebox in Richmond. Feeling for all Melbourne based surfers now, and to all you other pricks with freedom, shred the shit out of waves for us, but be humble.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:13am

Bah ha ha ha ha ha

What a kook, quoting "Tom Tanuki"

I had no idea who he was, so googled his name, he is that total loser that did the worst crappy video on Avi that was just full on abuse with no real points, even with all the time in the world he had to dissect his video he did such a lame arse job at it.

No wonder you follow him he is just a troll, obviously all he was looking to do was increase his youtube subscribers knowing he would get heaps of activity with that video from Avi fans.

I guess trolls love trolls though.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 7:59am

Deaths in Victoria yesterday : one woman in her 80s, three women in their 90s, one woman in her 100s

Lock everyone up now Dan . Man , woman and child . We must prevent these deaths !

Too much fear is not enough !

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:07am

We get it Caspar Dreaming,
You're an Avi the wife basher fanboy / apologist.
No matter how racist this idiot gets, no matter how many conspiracy theories he promotes, no matter how many times he gets arrested, no matter how many times he attends rallies in breach of covid distancing laws, no matter how many neo-nazis he hangs around, and no matter how many times he batters women, you're not getting off the Avi Fanboy Train.
And some people wonder why cults form and dictators take / retain power.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:12am

Vic Local wants every woman and child locked in their houses so he can live his life and not have to worry about his minute likelihood of getting sick .... and now he wants to talk about abuse !

You are ruining the lives of millions of people with your fear bred demand that other people forfeit their lives bloke .

Show some shame. Think of all the poor people losing their minds and their jobs because of Vic Local’s fear . That’s the worst abuse I’ve seen. Dictator Dan has millions of people under house arrest unable to walk in the sunshine due to support from muppets like this.

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:19am

Sweetie / blowin says VL is "ruining the lives of millions of people with your fear bred demand".
And on another note, I'd like to congratulate Ben, Craigos, and Stu on having a website with such a massive audience. Kudos gents. Well played.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:27am

Maybe Vic Yokel is really Tom Tanuki?

A walking contradiction endless abuse and attacking often complete BS like above, gun in your face, but somehow see themselves as peaceful and tolerant.

views from the cockpit's picture
views from the cockpit's picture
views from the ... Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 9:04am

No matter

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 9:42am

Maybe Vic Yokel is really Tom Tanuki?
Wrong Caspar Dreaming,
And I will let you in on another secret: unlike you, I'm not an apologist for a wife basher either.

sypkan's picture
sypkan's picture
sypkan Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 10:10am

please don't use that word viclocal

Its offensive

sypkan's picture
sypkan's picture
sypkan Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 10:15am

you love your woke shit, please get up to speed, or be excommunicated from the cult

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/nsw-treasury-asks-bureaucra...

synchrodogcal's picture
synchrodogcal's picture
synchrodogcal Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 2:33pm

"Dictator Dan has millions of people under house arrest unable to walk in the sunshine due to support from muppets like this."

huh? the curfew is 8pm to 5am, so walking in the sunshine is fine

Hiccups's picture
Hiccups's picture
Hiccups Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 2:44pm

The "Dictator Dan" meme is pretty tired and ridiculous. I'd love for these people to try living under a real dictatorship and see how they like it.

I fucked my MCL surfing just before the current lockdown. It sucks, but it means I haven't had to worry about missing any waves.

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 3:16pm

"please don't use that word (wife basher) viclocal
Its offensive"
No Sypkan, It's an accurate description of Avi Yemini. You know what is actually offensive? Bashing women like Yemini does, and excusing him like Indo Dreaming does.
I suggest you get some perspective on this.

sypkan's picture
sypkan's picture
sypkan Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 3:50pm

its doesn't matter if its an accurate description or not, we haven't applied that sort of logic for a long time

'wife' is out, the governmenf told me so

'basher' is fine, ...until further notice...

wife no, you'll have to find an more appropriate noun/pronoun

sypkan's picture
sypkan's picture
sypkan Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 3:46pm

theybasher?

sypkan's picture
sypkan's picture
sypkan Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 3:51pm

thembasher?

avi is a thembasher...

has more ring to it

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 3:51pm

You're an idiot sypkan.

loungelizard's picture
loungelizard's picture
loungelizard Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:16pm

what kind of idiot calls himself "vic-local" when he isn't?

the answer is in all his bile-filled rants.

factotum's picture
factotum's picture
factotum Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 8:42pm

Lizard, David Icke salutes you!

I focus's picture
I focus's picture
I focus Monday, 7 Sep 2020 at 11:01pm

So the Federal Government is frustrated with boarder closures and lock downs affecting the economy while it has closed Australia's borders and stopping any one from leaving which affects the economy, hmmm.

Gulag Australia?

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 7:57am

I Focus

Thats a very weird take on things, this is a much better perspective.

"Scott Morrison has made a political decision to cast Daniel Andrews adrift as anger grows within Victorian communities over the prospect of being locked up for months to come.

Having cut the Victorian Premier yards of slack for the past three months, the Prime Minister has now questioned Andrews’s ability to manage his own crisis.

He has all but accused state officials of failing in their public health response to the virus while warning the Labor Premier he would have to pay the economic bill for his indefinite lockdown. Morrison’s starting point was that Andrews’s “crushing” recovery road map to nowhere was a doomsday document of questionable scientific basis.

There was little subtlety in his language. The economic damage would also be borne by the nation.

He suggested Victoria’s contact tracing had been inadequate, there was no detailed modelling to justify the continuing lockdown and he was going to put the Andrews plan under the blowtorch by federal medical experts.

Morrison is clearly beyond frustration. The torturous road map announced by Andrews on Sunday has broken his patience.

The image now being presented is that the Andrews government had no idea how to manage the crisis and had become fixated on managing the spin.

The Prime Minister directly disputed Andrews’s claim about the efficacy of its contract tracing. “NSW has a stronger capability … than Victoria,” he said. “What I’m seeing in front of me is a plan that would see Sydney in curfew now.”

There are now fundamental disagreements between the commonwealth, including the medical experts, and the Andrews government. Morrison directly disputed Andrews’s claim that it was not possible to lock down and isolate hotspots and relax restrictions elsewhere. This was a clear allusion to the resistance by Victoria to accept that if it had an efficient and sophisticated system in place like NSW it would most likely be out of lockdown already. Up until now Morrison has resisted confrontation, with a view that people were hostile to political squabbles. But on Monday he effectively ended the marriage in a move to distance the federal government as far as it could from a decision Morrison described as “crushing” for Victorians.

This is a significant pivot point. For months he has played ball with Andrews and accommodated him, despite the Victorian leader resisting commonwealth assistance in contact tracing at every turn. But he is no longer prepared to absorb any political pain from the ongoing Victorian disaster. He is making it known that Andrews’s plan is his own and he will have to bear the consequences of it.

At the same time, he has unambiguously accused the Victorian government of holding the country back, not just economically but in the restoration of personal freedoms and the ability to reopen.

A narrative is now being built into the federal budget, only weeks away, that will hold the Andrews government to account for the deterioration of the national economy. Having probably pondered a policy of saying little and letting Victorians judge for themselves, the PM has decided to express sympathy for the conflagration of anger Andrews has ignited in his own state. At the same time he has offered hope to Victorians that there was another road map on offer if the Andrews government just accepted commonwealth help in contact tracing and information mapping, which has worked so effectively in NSW. Andrews would also have to stump up with his own economic plan, beyond the significant commonwealth assistance, to pay for the indefinite lockdown of his own citizens.

Morrison’s press conference marked a turning point in a relationship that at a personal level had been one of the stronger and constructive ones Morrison had enjoyed through the crisis. While no premier or chief minister has a desire to go back to a COAG model, national cabinet unity is under strain.

What he is saying applies equally to Queensland, perhaps less so WA, but any other state that wants to take a different path to what commonwealth medical experts have been arguing against since the start of the pandemic.

The PM is saying, more forcibly than before, it will be for them to bear the responsibility for whatever the impacts are nationally."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coronavirus-scott-morrison-c...

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:38am

Nothing usual about Murdoch owed The Australian saying shit like that ...

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:49am

The closure of national borders,lack of freedom to leave, and the limiting of returning Australians with little to no support is insane. Australian border force have a lot to answer for here.

Returning Australians are facing long waits, constantly cancelled flights and business class tickets (at a minimum) to come home.

Imagine wanting to come back to Aus, not know when you can get a flight, and having to pay $5K+ for a seat?

Then having to pay for hotel quarantine....

Regardless of the political shots between state and federal - this one action by the ABF is inexcusable.

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 8:51am

Also...

"Morrison is clearly beyond frustration. The torturous road map announced by Andrews on Sunday has broken his patience.''

Wow....we wouldn't want to test Scomo's patience! Poor fella must be having a hard time not being listened to. It's almost like...to be listened to as a leader....you know...you need to be a good leader.

Dx3's picture
Dx3's picture
Dx3 Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 9:55am

Not saying I'm a big fan of Dan at the moment, but if Morrison comes asking questions about our roadmap, I suggest Dan just responds with a throwaway dismissive response such as "I reject the premise of the question".

Morrison's go-to response to dismiss any criticism, of anything at all.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:05am

Faith in Morrison as the answer to Dictator Dan is equivalent to your kitchen catching fire catching fire and putting it out with an extinguisher loaded with liquified shit.

Hard to know which outcome is worse .

D-Rex's picture
D-Rex's picture
D-Rex Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:00am

Even socialists must be over Teflon Dan by now...but there is absolutely no chance of the ratbags on this site admitting it.

Vic Local's picture
Vic Local's picture
Vic Local Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:06am

"Even socialists must be over Teflon Dan by now...but there is absolutely no chance of the ratbags on this site admitting it."
Or you could say that anybody with any brains is stoked Andrews is staring down the opportunists in the Liberal Party, greedy industry groups, and real estate lobbyists. With 55 new infections today, the absolute last thing Victoria and Australia needs is for these idiots to get their way and social distancing rules being eased.
That would guarantee a third wave over summer.
Thank Christ Andrews is listening to the medical experts and ignoring the selfish short sighted rabble.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:14am

Transparent pointscoring from the Libs.

Andrews locks down Victoria = Dictator Dan

Andrews opens Victoria with resultant deaths from COVID = Andrews has blood on his hands

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:15am

There was a time when I thought we were better than that but no it seems I was wrong again.
Australia’s Covid response has sunk to cheap political point scoring and opportunism.

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:17am

One thing the missing in the commentary against Dandrews is state borders and re-openings.

No state is going to open up again to Victoria with the number of cases we've had (and are having). people are not going to want to go there and lots of people will leave.

I personally oppose eradication or even this 'aggressive suppression' strategy Sutton's pushing us down (don't think it's truly achievable or permanent) - but I get that if we don't shake this, or at least show we're putting all effort into getting down to zero - Victoria, and Melbourne, will be known as the Covid state for years to come.

The sheer luck experienced by the other states (which they may be passing off as better management, or more compliance within the population) is actually one of Victoria's greatest challenges.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020 at 10:19am

"Victoria will be known as the Covid state."

It'd look good on a rego plate.