‘Even union members are telling him to f-off’: Peta Credlin’s SCATHING verdict on Dan Andrews’ and a missing $1.3billion Covid fund – amid speculation SHE could take on the premier at the next election
- Sky News host says Premier Daniel Andrews has a ‘mesmeric hold’ over Victoria
- Tradies are telling the premier to ‘f*** off’ at protests, according to Peta Credlin
- Credlin claims there is a ‘stink enveloping this state’ in connection to Victoria
- Claimed that construction lockdown in Melbourne is not about public health
Sky News host Peta Credlin has called out Premier Daniel Andrews over a missing $1.3billion meant to be used in hospitals during the pandemic, lamenting there’s something is ‘very rotten in the state of Victoria’.
The chief of staff to Tony Abbott turned influential media commentator – who some say could run against Mr Andrews next year – says even the trade unions are turning against him.
‘It’s got to be significant that the rank and file unionists that Andrews has relied on for years to swamp polling booths are now marching the streets of Melbourne, telling him to f*** off,’ Ms Credlin told her Sky audience on Wednesday night.
Sky News host Peta Credlin has been tipped by some for a run against Daniel Andrews for state premier in the 2022 Victorian election
Referring to ‘the mesmeric hold the cult of Dan holds over the state of Victoria’, Ms Credlin asked her viewers: ‘How long do you think Scott Morrison could be prime minister if the Liberal Party was in administration and fighting cases through the courts but somehow, that just gets tolerated in Victoria.
‘But that’s just the start of the stink enveloping this state.
‘A state where the premier can announce $1.3billion dollars last April for an extra 4,000 ICU beds but now, no beds and no explanation as to where the money has gone.’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been accused of lying about lockdowns by Sky News host Peta Credlin
After playing a clip of Mr Andrews saying last year that ‘we are not going to spend 2021 in and out of lockdown’, Ms Credlin said: ‘Here we are, the seventh week of our sixth lockdown. What a lie that was, Daniel Andrews.’
She added that Melburnians are taking to the streets ‘demanding that enough is enough’ in the latest violent outbursts between ‘fed-up tradesman’ and the police.
‘It doesn’t matter how much the CFMEU and the Andrews government want to spin it all away and say otherwise, these protests started from within the union movement.
‘Many CFMEU members (are) deeply unhappy about mandatory vaccinations and really angry about having their industry closed down (for) two weeks, even though it’s central to the economy.’
Protesters at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Protests started on Monday over new Covid-19 vaccine requirements for construction workers but turned into larger and at times violent demonstrations against lockdown restrictions in general
Ms Credlin also disputed who was involved in the protests in Melbourne.
‘Despite being delayed for hours, lots of the drivers stuck on the WestGate Freeway yesterday didn’t seem to think (the protestors) were Neo-Nazis or un-Australian morons either.’
Ms Credlin said Mr Andrews’ reason for shutting down the construction industry because of 350 Covid cases made no sense as with 320,000 employees, that was just a 0.1 per cent case rate.
‘Health concerns isn’t what this is about. It’s about a premier facing a challenge to his power from his own CFMEU power base, and he doesn’t like it.
‘If you want to make vaccinations mandatory, start with your own public servants. premier,’ she said, adding that Mr Andrews should also force all the Victorian state MPs to get vaccinated.
‘This state needs to claw back some of the controls you’ve imposed and reinstate the freedoms you’ve stolen away, and have the parliament sit again. Bring back the scrutiny.’
Peta Credlin arrives at the Melbourne Club for her 50th birthday party. Notable attendees included Tony Abbott, Alan Jones and Sky News host Paul Murray
Last March, an all-star line up of Australian politics and media gathered to celebrate Ms Credlin’s 50th birthday at a function which doubled as a rallying point for allies trying to position her as a future leader of the Victorian Liberal Party.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott – still close friends with his former chief of staff – and Sky News co-host and powerful Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones were among around 100 guests invited to the party at the Melbourne Club, the social home of the city’s business and society elite.
Conservative commentator Steve Price wrote at the time in Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper that Ms Credlin should be Victoria’s next premier.
Mr Price is pushing for Ms Credlin to be parachuted into a safe Liberal seat so she can enter state Parliament and have time to tangle with Mr Andrews before the November 2022 election.