[A thread] Since Dan Andrews' announcement of the lockdown extension and roadmap out, there has been an outpouring of abuse towards him from some elements of the Victorian business community. 1/10 #auspol

It was allegedly an attack coordinated by the PMO via its business networks, the BCA and AIG aided and abetted by the usual sycophantic Costello, Murdoch and Stokes media cartel. 2/10 #auspol

I am a member of the Victorian business community and am in contact with MDs, CEOs and business owners on a daily basis. Although many of them are under pressure, almost all of them have pledged support for the actions of the government. 3/10 #auspol

For the last few weeks we have heard the incessant calls from the usual Liberal Victoria suspects for a road map out of lockdown. Tim Smith, Michael O'Brien et al have stated numerous times that businesses needs certainty. 4/10 #auspol

There is no doubt that businesses love certainty, but of course it's never 100%. Business certainty means confidence and with that confidence comes investment and employment. However, re-opening the economy too early will lead to less certainty. 5/10 #auspol

This is the cognitive dissonance on display from Morrison, his wretched government and its corporate sponsors. There is ONLY one way to gain certainty and that is to eliminate the virus, then keep it suppressed until there is a vaccine. 6/10 #auspol

If we re-open too soon as @liberalaus & their attendant corporate sponsors desire, we will go into an endless cycle of lockdown, deaths and reopening. That is the opposite of certainty. It will cause an economic collapse far greater than we are currently experiencing 7/10 #auspol

Nor is it putting profits ahead of people's lives. Advocating for a re-opening too soon is actually putting even less profit ahead of people's lives. It's batsh*t crazy stuff - and as a member of the (Victorian) business community I find this profoundly disappointing 8/10 #auspol

As the argument is clearly not about profits, the only explanation for the outpouring against Dan Andrews is politics. The Liberals are trying to tear Andrews down. His brand of leadership and honesty terrifies them. 9/10 #auspol

The truly corrupt always fear the truly honest - that's the nub of the issue the Libs have with Andrews. 3 separate polls yesterday showed he has the backing of the vast majority of Victorians. They have to tear him down now, before he tears them down. They won't. 10/10 #auspol