Rita Panahi: Dan’s selective care for vulnerable not fooling anyone

The man responsible for plunging Victorians into isolation and depression now has the gall to claim he’s worried about mental health.

Just when you think the Victorian premier has reached the limit of incredulity, he finds new levels of chutzpah.

The premier must be supremely confident of a thumping victory in the coming state election – why else would he opt to enter a divisive debate, stoke religious intolerance and insult more than a million Victorian Catholics, not to mention Jews and Muslims, who share similar views on abortion and LGBTQIA+ issues?

Doubling down on his comments that Essendon’s former CEO’s church promoted “hatred, bigotry” and “intolerance” the premier had the gall to say his commentary was motivated by concern for the mental health of members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“People can get all upset about the fact that someone resigned,” Mr Andrews said.

“I’m much more focused on the fact that people are harming themselves and, sometimes, taking their own lives because of bigotry and prejudice.”

Premier Daniel Andrews doubling down on his comments that Essendon’s former CEO’s church promoted “hatred, bigotry” and “intolerance”.

What utter unmitigated dross.

The man responsible for plunging untold numbers of Victorians into the depths of despair, isolation and depression with six lockdowns and a host of cruel, unusual and unnecessary restrictions thinks alienating scores of devout Christians advances the community’s mental health?

Where is the premier’s concern for the mental health of Christians, Muslims and Jews told that their belief system is not acceptable in Victoria and can disqualify them from their dream job?

It seems the premier’s concern for his fellow Victorians is rather selective indeed.

THORBURN MUST MAKE ESSENDON PAY

Former Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn has to take a stand against his former club, if not for his own sake, for the benefit of other Christians not as financially blessed as he is.

Read the opinion piece in full here.