Liberal MP Tim Smith stands by attack on ‘friendless loser’ Daniel Andrews

Tim Smith has defended labelling the Premier Daniel Andrews a “control-freak wowser” and “friendless loser”.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Getty Images

Outspoken Victorian Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith has defended labelling the state’s Premier a “control-freak wowser” and “friendless loser”, saying he will continue to use colourful language to get issues on the agenda.

Mr Smith’s Twitter spray at Daniel Andrews comes after Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said on Sunday that it was “not appropriate” for his planning spokesman to tell the Seven Network’s Sunrise program the Premier was “acting like a loony” in refusing to allow Victorians to see their mothers on Mother’s Day.

On Wednesday night, Mr Smith tweeted in response to The Australian’s front page article on Thursday about bars reopening in NSW: “In Victoria with control freak wowsers like Dictator Dan running the show, you can’t even sit down for a coffee, let alone a beer. Our Premier is such a friendless loser, of course Victoria has no plans to reopen licensed venues, who would invite Lurch for a drink? #danhasnomates”

In Victoria with control freak wowsers like Dictator Dan running the show, you can’t even sit down for a coffee, let alone a beer. Our Premier is such a friendless loser, of course Victoria has no plans to reopen licensed venues,who would invite Lurch for a drink?#danhasnomates pic.twitter.com/rFGqJbGx9i

— Tim Smith MP (@TimSmithMP) May 13, 2020

On Thursday morning, he added: “Can I remind everyone that no one plays politics or the person more aggressively and nastily than Chairman Dan. This is the bloke who went out every day in Opposition and accused the Liberals of killing people.”

Can I remind everyone that no one plays politics or the person more aggressively and nastily than Chairman Dan. This is the bloke who went out every day in Opposition and accused the Liberals of killing people.

— Tim Smith MP (@TimSmithMP) May 13, 2020

Asked by radio host Neil Mitchell whether he was trolling Mr Andrews or Mr O’Brien, Mr Smith said he was “very concerned about business in Victoria”, amid the opposition’s proposal of a $1bn fund to encourage a revival of manufacturing in the state as an economic recovery measure.

“I want to see manufacturing brought back to Victoria, and I think the Coalition’s got a terrific announcement today about bringing manufacturing back to the state with a $1bn fund, and I’m very concerned about why Daniel Andrews thinks he knows more about running cafes and restaurants than people who actually run cafes and restaurants,” Mr Smith said.

“He’s said … that they’re not viable with 10 patrons. What would he know? He wouldn’t have a clue. He’s never worked in the private sector in his life.”

In justifying his decision not to follow national cabinet and other states in allowing restaurants and cafes to reopen with up to 10 eat-in customers, Mr Andrews earlier this week said businesspeople had told him it was not viable to open with such low numbers.

Asked whether Mr O’Brien had told him to tone down his language, Mr Smith said: “No”.

“He was concerned about the use of a word I used on Sunday on Sunrise, and that was conveyed, and I accepted that, and we move on,” he said.

“You have to admit there’s a certain level of control freakery going on in Victoria at the moment, for obvious reasons in some regards, but the language and indeed some of the rules, which don’t exist in any other state in the country, are pernicious and wrong.

“My concern is getting issues on the agenda, and if that means I have to use colourful language, then I will continue to do so, because these are the issues that Victorians are talking about. I mean, your talkback has raised very similar points to what I raised on Twitter.”

Mr Smith said he did not want to be opposition leader.

Victorian Liberal MP Tim Smith. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

“I want to get rid of Daniel Andrews as the Premier of Victoria, that’s what I want to do, because I think the Liberal Party does a much better job, particularly rebuilding a state after a crisis, like we did in the 1990s and will have to do again after this pandemic has run its course,” he said.

Asked whether he would ever run for the leadership, he said: “I can’t say I will never never, but I’m certainly not at the moment.”

Mr Smith said “yes” when asked whether Mr O’Brien would lead the Coalition to the next state election, due in 2022.

Mr O’Brien described Mr Smith’s attack on Mr Andrews as “a sideshow”.

“Politicians attacking each other, it is a sideshow, 127,000 Victorians have lost their jobs, and I’m proposing ideas to get them back to work,” he said.