Posted: 09:16 GMT, 25 October 2020 | Update: 13:47 GMT, 25 October 2020
Former Victoria Prime Minister Jeff Kennett launched an extraordinary attack on Daniel Andrews as a ‘communist’ and ‘dictator’ for delaying the reopening of Melbourne
Melbourne will remain closed for a few more days until test results from the northern suburbs are processed, dashing hopes of business owners
Host Peter Van Onselen said calling Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews a ‘communist’ and a ‘dictator’ was ‘overkill’, prompting Jeff Kennett to turn against him : « You are lucky to have a job »
Host Peter Van Onselen asked former Liberal PM why a few more days were important – but he got more than he bargained for in response
M Kennett began by saying that businesses should prepare by ordering food, cleaning and hiring – but he quickly got angry
‘We have a population of 64 million people and for seven cases 64 million people continue to be held hostage by this prime minister’
‘Some days NSW has more crates than us and not only do they keep trading, they don’t have steel rings – we have a 5 mile radius and now a 25 mile radius
Hosts Lisa Wilkinson, Tommy Little and Peter Van Onselen all seemed a little surprised by M’s passion Kennett
Pictured: South Melbourne Market on Sunday Locals ignore the Prime Minister’s rules and flock to the South Melbourne Market, often without masks or social distancing
Former Victorian Prime Minister Jeff Kennett (Liberal, pictured) rescued Prime Minister Daniel Andrews (Labor) over his handling of the coronavirus, calling him a ‘communist’ and a ‘dictator’
Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews (pictured) has suspended Melbourne’s reopening for a few days until test results come back from the outbreak in the northern suburbs
Project host Lisa Wilkinson asked if this was a ‘partisan stack’ as Coalition MP Greg Hunt also echoed Ms. Kennett against a Labor Prime Minister
Lisa Wilkinson noted that Coalition Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt echoed this position and asked if this was a « partisan stack » of the Labor Prime Minister Daniel Andrews
M Kennett replied: « People have died », before saying the crisis had been « handled in a disastrous way » and accusing the Andrews government of « corruption » and not being « honest with the community »
Peter Van Onselen said he was not sure that exaggerated rhetoric about communism would help people ‘on the fence’
A pop-up testing clinic in Heidelberg West in Melbourne on Sunday The reopening of Melbourne was delayed for a few days until test results returned from a recent outbreak
M Kennett then dropped his charge of « communism », calling the Andrews government a « dictatorship » instead
‘We cannot travel in our state Businesses cannot open and these are all one man decisions,’ he said
« Okay, I accept that ‘communism’ is a bit of an exaggeration – but it’s a dictatorship He doesn’t listen to people on his own party ‘
When Peter Van Onselen persisted in saying that it could not be a dictatorship since Daniel Andrews had been elected by his own party, Mr. Kennett has turned on him
‘You keep getting your paycheck my friend you are very, very lucky – but I’m telling you there are a lot of people here in Victoria who will never, ever get over the way we have handled this virus’
Jeff Kennett has repeatedly attacked the Andrews government and called for Victoria to reopen since at least August
M Kennett wants Victoria to pursue a management strategy like NSW, which has a Liberal government, instead of an elimination strategy
Sunday, M Andrews said he still hopes to make ‘definitive announcements on the opening of the Melbourne metropolis in a few days’
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Jeff Kennett
World News – UA – Jeff Kennett saves ‘Communist’ Dan Andrews in furious televised argument
