Andy's exact statement was "I have reason to believe that this could be linked to my role as an MP & the positions I have taken on the pandemic response".
While the incident clearly devolved, new statements from VicPol, Andy & his daughter all state it started about graffiti.
Since then it's emerged that Andy's daughter holds extreme views that Nazi's should be violently killed. Clearly nobody likes Nazi's but "there's no place for violence in disagreement" should go both ways, especially since Andy has been labelling all protestors Nazi's for weeks.
While this incident should be persued to the full extent of the law, nobody should have been intimidated or injured, the scale at which this blew up due to Meddick's claims about it being linked to the pandemic bill is truly unbelievable.
Claiming a violent attack on someone happened due to politics, who has publicly said they would violently attack someone else due to politics, is possibly the most zero-sum game possible. Hopefully this attitude can leave society as fast as this story will leave the news cycle.
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As mentioned the bill needs to be killed in its current form but all MPs agree they don't want this govt reaching for the SOE again anytime soon. Something needs to exist that has hard limits on powers & much better Parl oversight. So the hunger games of the crossbench commences.
What Adem did was ensure the govt needs another vote, without giving them an inch as to who that would be. A situation made worse by the govt having told the entire crossbench just days before "boo hoo losers your concerns don't matter, bye". That humble pie was an epic serve.
In short, we're all in the Adem show now. He's got the govt by the balls & basically the future of the state in his hands. People seem to have underestimated just how much of a position he holds here, which we saw a taste of this morning. Let's clear up a few things.
Adem has repeatedly said the bill needs to be amended, it's trash. He never said "kill the bill", he's said "kill that version of the bill". Given SOE is no longer an option & the other states retain ongoing powers, most MPs accept something (far, far less awful) could exist.
According to Dan the appropriate response to public concerns from the Ombudsman that detention orders under the pandemic bill weren't able to be independently judicially reviewed was "well she isn't a judge". #qt
Dan once again calling every person at the front of Parliament "a violent extremist".
Within a minute then went on to say that Victoria is definitely not divided, everyone is united.
Saying the best outcome is for the bill to be defeated. That the bill creates uncertainty in the state and will impact the recovery.
Catherine "at the start of this week it was urgent but now its not, sure, but I wonder if I'll get a phone call to discuss anything. I wasn't one of the ones getting that call last night".
Dan "What I'll say is this. Today's a great day and I don't think anything should detract from what Victoria has acheived". Not even trying to pretend this announcement is a deflection.
On getting the bill through: "let's have the most respectful, most inclusive process we can, that's the way we operate".
Takes a special type to say that bs with a straight face.
"I wouldn't want anything to take away today from the story being of Victorian's being proud & the govt being grateful to them". Subtle 🙄
The Upper House is due to start sitting in 30mins & there's still no clarity on what the govt plans to do. If they can't pass the bill now their options are to continue debate & adjourn to next sitting week, or just pass a motion to adjourn to next sitting week. That's kind of it
Next dates are 30th Nov - 2nd Dec, 2 weeks before SOE ends.
Govt is going to have a VERY hard time justifying why SARC shouldn't review the bill in that time. There's literally no good reason. Interesting watching the hysterics in the media about 'all restrictions could end(!!)'.
Yes that could happen or, excessively more likely, they spend 2 weeks negotiating to get a vote & then try again. Can't let that get in the way of a good screamy headline though 😂 the bill may be blocked for now but this isn't done yet.