A ‘State of Disaster’ is probably what happens when we have union and political party hacks running the show, as we have in benighted, beleaguered Victoria – once the jewel in the Commonwealth crown, but now reduced to pariah status.
Our Premier and arch politician, Daniel Andrews apparently cannot put politics aside (as our Prime Minister has admirably done) and actually manage and contain the explosion of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Victoria since the hotel quarantine fiasco and the 10,000-strong Black Lives Matter protest in June.
By putting the entire state in ‘lockdown’ – an occurrence previously reserved for prisons – Mr Andrews appears to spread blame and responsibility for his government’s failings, to all Victorians – like the school principal trying to retain control by locking up the entire school while the culprits own up.
In Victoria’s case we know who the culprits are, but they cannot be held to account because democracy has been shut down here since April. The Andrews Government even used its numbers to block scrutiny of the public accounts – so who knows what further chaos is lurking within the state’s finances?
Scrutiny is what is so desperately needed. Parliamentary scrutiny would have uncovered the quarantine mess far sooner, as would defence personnel had Mr Andrews not rejected the Prime Minister’s offer of help. Fobbing us off with crumbs of information at a stage-managed daily press conference is not democracy.
And where are the Opposition and indeed the Governor in all of this? The Opposition needs to present a credible alternative to all this chaos. In a crisis we need competent ministers who actually know their portfolios, not union and political yes men and women. And the Governor, Linda Dessau AC, needs to ensure that the wheels of democracy still turn in Victoria – or is she also missing in action? Is it time to rescue us and restore democracy in Victoria?
Yours Sincerely,
Marian McFarland
Chesney Vale
Victoria
