A push is underway to force ‘bungling’ Premier Daniel Andrews to hand control of Victoria’s COVID-19 crisis to the Commonwealth.
As hundreds of thousands of Victorians joined the dole queue on Friday, a petition has been established and backed by television news veteran George Donikian demanding Prime Minister Scott Morrison take control of the crisis, which has spiralled out of control under Mr Andrews’ watch.
His petition calls on Victoria to become a territory and placed under the Federal Government’s control.
The 68-year old who has appeared on three different networks since 1980, lashed out at the premier in a 11-minute video tirade that threatens to go viral.
Victoria recorded 450 new cases on Friday, with 11 deaths.
Veteran news presenter George Donikian has called for Victoria to become a territory and placed under Commonwealth control
Police and soldiers patrol the streets of Melbourne under new stage four lockdown conditions
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is under siege over his bungled handling of the COVID-19 crisis
‘There are Victorians who want to be out. They want you out of office and they want Victoria to be declared a territory and to have the federal government take over the reins,’ he said.
‘COVID should never have been an issue in this country as we were well warned by a host of nations overseas about what to expect and what we should to to protect Australia and Australians.’
Donikian said Australia had become fragmented in its defence against the virus because of a ‘flawed constitution’ and called on a royal commission into the handling of the crisis in Victoria.
‘It’s incredible to think that we couldn’t use a blanket strategy deployed by federal government for the whole of the country,’ he said.
‘The federal government has been handcuffed at a time of national crisis. (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison should have been able to simply instruct all of the state premiers to follow a particular, unified approach and response to COVID.’
Donikian claimed Mr Andrews had ‘blood on his hands’.
‘He will be seen as responsible for the economic destruction of Victoria and for driving the levels of suicide, domestic violence and mental health to unprecedented levels. He has plenty of explaining to do,’ he said.
Donikian told Daily Mail Australia the push to revert to federal control has been backed heavily by Victorian business owners, many of which have posted support for the move under his video.
‘He could have saved the state millions on the inquiry,’ one stated.
‘He nailed it for the systemic and leadership failures,’ another wrote.
Donikian compared Victoria’s COVID-19 predicament to a hot mess served-up by a bungling and misguided premier.
Television icon George Donikian says Premier Daniel Andrews has blood on his hands
Premier Daniel Andrews’ handling of the coronavirus outbreaks within the state’s aged care network has been condemned
Flinders Street Station in the heart of Melbourne has become deserted under stage four restrictions
COVIDiot Eve Black would have been jailed under tough laws proposed by veteran news presenter George Donikian
‘The premier has on his plate a bit of a kale pache – a stew. And it’s one made from boiled cow or sheep parts. And that’s what Victorians have been served and I’ve got to tell you, it’s not a very tasty dish,’ he said.
Donikian, who fronts online video news website The Informer, slammed the premier’s handling of Victoria’s COVID crisis and claimed history would condemn Mr Andrews.
‘Victorians have fallen victim to a collective stupidity and we will have to endure a painful legacy because of it,’ he said.
Donikian goes onto list a series of blunders he places at the feet of the Andrews Government.
‘We were told that COVID was an old persons disease, yet the state government failed to safeguard our most frail in our aged care unit because of a lack of foresight and clear mismanagement,’ he said.
Donikian hit out at the premier for lifting the initial restrictions that began in March too early.
‘Hey, that was a major bungle. Then of course there was the inept quarantining of overseas travellers – another disaster and this one with quite serious implications,’ he said.
Police in Victoria are expected to be out in force again on Sunday when more protesters have threatened to converge on the city streets
A man who failed to comply with new lockdown laws was taken away by police last week
Police have been apprehending people who get about Melbourne not wearing a mask
He further criticised the government’s handling of the Black Lives Matter protest, the ‘Cedar Meats fiasco’, housing commission lockdown and allowing infected people to leave their homes.
The television presenter saved specific criticism for Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
Donikian attacked Mr Sutton for giving mixed messages on the wearing on masks, which went from ‘not required’ to ‘mandatory’.
‘Premier Andrews need not only to sack (Health Minister Jenny) Mikakos, (Housing Minister Richard) Wynne and Sutton, but he also needs to seek out the advice of experts – people who can properly steer a course that we can all follow,’ he said.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has been criticised over his leadership of the state’s COVID crisis
The premier’s handling of the bungled hotel quarantining of international arrivals continues to haunt him
The premier’s handling of an outbreak at Cedar Meats has been condemned by broadcaster George Donikian
Donikian conceded Victoria’s COVID death toll was unacceptable, but claimed the stage-four restrictions threatened to do even great harm.
Premier Daniel Andrews moved forward with the stage-four changes despite pleas from businesses to delay shutting down much of the state’s economy.
‘I don’t think any business will be happy with the decisions that have had to be made,’ he said on Thursday.
‘I’m not happy to make these decisions of the but sadly we don’t have the luxury of finding things, of that being the ultimate guide.
‘The guide here has gotta be to drive down the amount of movement to then drive down the number of cases.’
Donikian claimed the people have spoken.
‘Victorians have lost faith in you and your government,’ he told the premier.
George Donikian is a highly respected news anchor who has been a journalist since 1975
George Donikian has called on the Victorian Government to be scrapped and handed back to the COmmonwealth