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Dan’s Teflon coating has worn thin as he cops a dose of instant karma

Dan Andrew’s golf club rejection delivered a delicious dose of instant karma as the former premier pays a small price for the six crippling lockdowns and record debt he inflicted upon the state.

The prospect of Daniel Andrews becoming a member of Portsea Golf Club had some members seeing red. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin
The prospect of Daniel Andrews becoming a member of Portsea Golf Club had some members seeing red. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

“Instant karma’s going to get you, gonna knock you off your feet,’’ sang John Lennon 53 years ago.

Daniel Andrews may not need any help being knocked off his feet but he’s nevertheless copping a dose of instant karma, and it’s delicious.

In retirement, Dan’s Teflon coating is beginning to fray as he belatedly pays a small price for the six crippling lockdowns he inflicted upon most of the state and the record debt he left behind.

Dan is persona non grata across much of the Mornington Peninsula, including the region’s world-class golf courses.

Australians may have a laidback, live-and-let-live disposition but the former premier is uniquely despised by many in the state that he ruled with an iron fist for close to a decade.

So it should come as no surprise that he is being blackballed from the peninsula’s premier golf courses despite politicking from his billionaire mates, such as Max Beck.

Billionaire Max Beck supported Daniel Andrews’ bid to join Portsea Golf Club. Picture: Josh Robenstone
Billionaire Max Beck supported Daniel Andrews’ bid to join Portsea Golf Club. Picture: Josh Robenstone

As reported in the Herald Sun on Monday, the prospect of Andrews becoming a member of Portsea Golf Club had some members seeing red.

The reaction saw property tycoon Beck lash out at members for being “small minded”.

“It’s just all about a bloke who wants to play golf and enjoy the rest of his life, it’s ridiculous,’’ Beck said.

“He’s worked his guts out for the state with his beliefs.

“I’m very disappointed, but we’ll just see whether the (Portsea GC) committee takes into account his political beliefs or his personality and his golfing ability – they are the two things they should be assessing him on.”

Only last month Beck was lashing out at members of the National Golf Course at Cape Schanck who were none too pleased with Andrews, a non-member, breaking club rules set out for guests by teeing off before noon.

Former golf pro Mark Allen explained on radio 3AW that the former premier’s desire to gain membership at a prestigious club was likely to end in disappointment.

“On Friday night at the Sorrento Hotel it was the talk of the region … not only members from Portsea (Golf Club) but members from other clubs were saying that if he’s trying to join anywhere down here, they just will not let him join,” Allen said.

As they say in the classics; karma’s a bitch.

Rita Panahi
Rita PanahiColumnist and Sky News host

Rita is a senior columnist at Herald Sun, and Sky News Australia anchor of The Rita Panahi Show and co-anchor of top-rating Sunday morning discussion program Outsiders.Born in America, Rita spent much of her childhood in Iran before her family moved to Australia as refugees. She holds a Master of Business, with a career spanning more than two decades, first within the banking sector and the past ten years as a journalist and columnist.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/rita-panahi/dans-teflon-coating-is-beginning-to-fray-as-he-cops-a-dose-of-instant-karma/news-story/48927132439133ceb5fa89371253d025