Matthew Guy, the cookers and the bloody uproar against Dan Andrews

In place of sound policies and leadership, Matthew Guy's Liberals, their cooker friends and accompanying media protection racket have run a cheap anti-Dan Andrews election campaign in Victoria, but will it make a difference? Managing editor Michelle Pini reports.

AS FAR AS political campaigns go, you would think one would have to be desperate when the only tactics used are negative attacks.

You would think political leaders would also need to be scraping the bottom of the barrel to latch on to the “cooker movement”.

Welcome to today's Victorian Liberal Party and its ever-loyal mainstream media protection racket.

Along with the usual anti-Dan (Victorian Premier Dan Andrews) propaganda, this week saw sudden and extremely noisy outrage over the Victorian Government's move to make tampons and sanitary pads free in public places. What bastards! Fancy helping women deal with … well, with stuff men don’t have to deal with! What a bloody (pardon the pun) nerve!

PERIOD ENVY

Yep, taking the political agenda to an even lower level than usual, the Far-Right nut-jobs (some call them "cookers") were positively apoplectic about free menstrual products.

Is there such a thing as period envy? Because it would explain a lot.

But until such time as period envy is found to be a clinical condition and the product of an obviously troubled psyche, apparently, we must suffer new levels of idiocy about the free tampon policy, such as that it's "sexist", "unfair" and "a disgrace".

And, according to Sky News commentator and obvious expert on women's sanitary products, Chris Kenny, offering free feminine hygiene products represents: 

"...the lowest of low in politics.'

Perhaps, as one diplomatic menstruating person suggested, we could:

'...get Dan Andrews to give out free tissues for all the men crying about free tampons.'

But leaving aside the fact that free sanitary protection is hardly sufficient cause for a revolution, it is interesting to note that the New South Wales Government did a similar thing with menstrual hygiene products, to give credit where it’s due, some time back. Remember the bloody uproar about that? No, neither do we.

COOKER EXCITEMENT REACHES RECORD HEIGHTS

Of course, it isn’t just tampons that the Far-Right nutjobs are up in arms about, it’s pretty much everything the Andrews Government does. Getting upset about free period protection is just one of the more idiotic gripes.

There’s also anger over pandemic safety measures like lockdowns and masks, the removal of level crossings, renewable energy incentives and reinstating the State Electricity Commission, because, how dare the Andrews Government implement policies or, well, govern?!

And lately, the level of hysteria has been turned up to heights that would ordinarily restrict oxygen (which would also explain quite a lot).

Even those in the media who normally show a level of restraint have, sadly, been caught up in the Liberal-sanctioned, cooker excitement.

Such as the ABC’s Michael Rowland, who interviewed the Victorian Premier on Monday and demanded:

“Do you accept there are voters out there, possibly a lot of voters and possibly a lot of voters in Labor-held seats, waiting with their figurative baseball bats wanting to punish you for the lockdowns and other COVID measures in Victoria?”

Really? A lot of voters? A lot of voters waiting with figurative baseball bats to punish the Premier, Michael?

Setting aside the irresponsible reporting of pandemic measures displayed by the mainstream media throughout this pandemic – which, incidentally, is not over – let’s take a look at the latest Newspoll (via the Poll Bludger) to test the accuracy of this claim.

THE SMELL OF DESPERATION

As usual, much has been made of Labor's two-point decrease over the Liberals from the last poll, but it is still a pretty big margin in Labor's favour, with a two-party preferred lead of 54-46. Daniel Andrews is also still leading Opposition Leader Matthew Guy 52-33 in the preferred premier category.

Because, of course, the Victorian Election is almost here and let it not be said that the Murdoch-led mainstream media haven’t given the “Dan must go” line their best shot and counter shots, and automated machine gun ammo attacks. But the Victorian Premier, so far, just hasn't gone anywhere.

In fact, in the all-out war on Dan Andrews, nothing is sacred, or even, well, logical. We’ve seen the Opposition side with the anti-vaxxing, anti-lockdown, anti-mask-wearing nutjobs. 

Meanwhile, the Liberal Opposition has got nothin’. Its policies, such as they are, are based on doing nothing, plus a few attempts to do stuff, which turned out to be un-costed. Oh, and a party characterised by in-fighting. 

So, it’s an all-out personal war waged against the Victorian Premier, with story after story attempting to sling mud at Andrews’ character.

Like this choice Liberal campaign advertisement, sanctioned by the Opposition Leader, which refers to the Victorian Premier as a "prick":

“Remember when Andrews forced us to get the jab or lose our job? Now even our own unions are admitting he’s a prick.” 

Except that, unfortunately, for Matthew Guy's Liberals and the mainstream media, as Paul Begley wrote in IA:

'Since the 2014 Election, Victorian voters have had ample opportunities to assess the character of Daniel Andrews.’

And chose to re-elect him.

And then there’s the character of Matthew “lobster mobster” Guy and his alleged mafia connections. And attempts to derail investigations. And his climate denial. And Guy’s defence of “protestors” (AKA cookers) terrorising the state and threatening the Premier with gallows — the same cookers now being investigated by ASIO. Or his party's preferencing ahead of Labor, candidates who called for Daniel Andrews to be hanged.

Why, then, is the mainstream media continuing their war on Andrews with everything they’ve got?

The smell of desperation is in the air ... and on the screen, and in countless editorials.

Because Matthew Guy’s got nothin’. Nothing but recycled cheap, negative shots set on repeat. Shots about health protections during a pandemic. And shots about falling down stairs. Even shots about an accident involving Dan Andrews’ wife, seven years ago.

And when all else fails and the arsenal comes up empty, the Matthew Guy-led Victorian Liberals, their cooker friends and accompanying media circus even politicise sanitary protection. It really doesn’t get any bloody worse than that.

This editorial was originally published as part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter. These editorials are usually only available to subscribers and may be read online in the IA members-only area.

Follow IA managing editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @vmp9. Follow Independent Australia on Twitter @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

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