Melbourne lockdown: Chin Chin owner Chris Lucas fires up over state of emergency

A top Melbourne restaurateur has fired up over city’s prolonged lockdown and the Premier’s push to extend state of emergency powers.

A top Melbourne restaurateur has fired up over city’s prolonged lockdown and the Premier’s push to extend state of emergency powers for another year.

Chin Chin owner and founder Chris Lucas lashed Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews during an interview with the Today show on Thursday morning, saying there’s never been a worse time for the hospitality industry.

Mr Lucas told host Allison Langdon that Victoria was effectively in “a state of martial law” and he felt very sad for his employees and the six million Victorians who now faced almost six months of continuous lockdowns.

“Driving to work this morning I drove past at least three or four police cars, it’s unprecedented,” he said.

“It’s very difficult I know for your listeners to understand in NSW, for instance, where their liberties have not been shunted away.”

Mr Lucas said he thought the electorate was unprepared for the Premier’s proposal to extend the state of emergency for another 12 months.

“The bombshell the Premier dropped was ill thought and, look, he's treating us like fools, quite frankly,” Mr Lucas said.

“We have sacrificed everything in the last six months as a community, as a state, as a city. My employees have been stood down, our businesses have been shut down, our lives have been turned upside down.

Chris Lucas says Victorians are in a ‘state of martial law’. Picture: David Geraghty

“We’re confined to our homes, we can’t leave our homes after 8pm, we are effectively in a state of martial law.

“I don’t think the Premier has any sensitivity or compassion, and if he does, he is certainly not exhibiting it, to simply come out and demand that he wants these powers given to him in an unprecedented form, it's just smacks of insensitivity. Quite frankly, we’re sick of it.”

Mr Lucas said it was already too late for many of the state’s 20,000 small cafes and restaurants, with estimates 20 to 30 per cent won’t reopen their doors after restrictions are lifted.

He said Victorians deserved to have their parliament recalled and called on the Premier to give people hope.

“We deserve to have our democratic rights reinstituted, we want checks and balances in the system, we want to know when we can go back to work – we can't just switch the lights on at 24 hours notice, we need time to plan,” Mr Lucas said.

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