‘Bottom of the barrel politics’ is nothing new to Victorian Labor Leader Daniel Michael Andrews. He loves the contest and enjoys it even more when taxpayers are paying for it. The more sludge the better.
Just weeks from seeking a third term in office, this ‘old-school’ socialist has achieved what many thought impossible – he’s redefined despicable. And not in a good way.
In a political ‘wing attack’, Andrews has allocated $15 million of our money to a sponsorship with Netball Australia to fund its premiership team, The Diamonds.
In net terms, we have the unknown ‘Visit Victoria’ government outfit allocating millions of non-existent public money to fund a netball team that most Victorians have barely heard of, let alone seen in action.
As with despotic leaders everywhere, it’s always about politics at the expense of the people. For Victorian Labor, it’s also about deflection. Andrews wants us talking about sport and benevolence – not about desperate public health personnel, teachers, or mental health workers whom the government has ignored for its eight years in office.
Let’s examine the entrails of this grisly piece of political bastardry from Andrews.
The Australian Diamonds – wonderful netballers as they are – had secured a sponsorship deal with Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting until that was controversially withdrawn earlier this month. One or more of the players felt ‘uncomfortable’ playing while being sponsored by one of Rinehart’s companies. Gina decided enough was enough.
The amount Victorian taxpayers have involuntarily stumped up for a five year arrangement with the Diamonds coincides, to the dollar, with what Hancock Prospecting had originally put on the table. The team will essentially become Victorian property but will play nationally and, of course, offshore as well while allegedly somehow promoting Victoria.
A team of Labor operatives will no doubt have worked day and night getting this deal together – road testing all the possible questions that are now rightly being raised by ordinary mums and dads who have to pay for it.
By far the most grotesque aspect of this latest ‘headline grabber’ is the contempt it shows for those seeking funding for city and regional hospitals, school upgrades, or treatment of the aged and mentally ill.
Victorians, already drowning in debt created by Labor, are left with only one option in response to this latest travesty – to vote against Andrews on November 26. There are no other alternatives.
On present reckoning, what’s left of Andrews’ ramshackle outfit seems likely to return to the government benches in minority with the Greens.
If farmers, rural communities, small business operators, and the millions slowly recovering from the devastation of Labor’s contemptible handling of Covid thought the last two years have been tough – stand prepared for what’s coming your way.
As for the Opposition, it’s hard to see why they bother turning up to work each day. In the face of Labor’s debt, destruction, and disregard for real people doing real work – the Liberals and National parties ought to be home in a canter.
Instead – like our dollars – they are missing in action.
