With her state heading for disaster, Gladys bails on NSW
By Matthew Reddin
For weeks, Gladys Berejiklian has warned that things will get worse. She just announced that she won’t be doing daily press conferences.
There’s this ongoing trend that echoed throughout the online world during the Trump presidency: Imagine if Obama said (or did) this? Imagine the outrage, the scorn, the villagers with torches and pitchforks if he did/said this. But the thing is, you couldn’t imagine it, because he’d never say or do anything as remotely objectionable, crazy or flat-out offensive as Trump would. But a different standard was applied to Trump than was Obama, for whatever reason. There are volumes of books to be written on it and what’s behind it (spoiler alert: it has something to do with pigment).
This is what occurred to me, as a Victorian, as an Australian, as a sentient human this morning upon hearing that Gladys Berejiklian, presiding over a monumental failure to act, a failure of procedure and oversight, the consequences of which have stretched up, down and across the eastern seaboard, has decided that as of Monday, her daily press briefings will be done online, by some low-level bureaucrat, until such time as she has something to say.
Which could be never, let’s be frank about it.
I mean, FUCKING IMAGINE IF DAN ANDREWS HAD DONE THE SAME THING. Truth be told, you can’t, because he actually showed up and did his job, and would have known that there are consequences for not doing his job; Gladys is of the political stripe where there simply aren’t consequences for her doing anything, ever – nor for her federal counterpart.
Gladys announced 1,542 cases (double the highest number of cases Victoria ever recorded during the 2020 outbreak) and basically said her work here was done. “Can’t someone else do it?” she asked someone, probably, in between being insanely corrupt and blithely contemptuous.
Samantha Maiden from News.com.au called it as she saw it. I’m guessing she’ll be fairly alone in that stable for criticizing the NSW leader.
Hiding while your citizens die.
It’s not leadership. But sure looks like cowardice https://t.co/afAEu09Tjy
— Samantha Maiden (@samanthamaiden) September 10, 2021
The ABC’s Patricia Karvelas was also less than impressed.
To abandon the daily accountability opportunity for journalists to ask questions when deaths and cases are rising is one of the most disturbing decisions I’ve seen. The bushfire is raging and we will get videos? #Covidnsw
— Patricia Karvelas (@PatsKarvelas) September 10, 2021
Katherine Murphy from The Guardian did the Twitter equivalent of a spit take.
I hoped I'd missed something in translation. Apparently not. This is an absolute disgrace. This outbreak is not over. The mission is not accomplished. In a democracy, political leaders are accountable to the public. Front up. That's the job #auspol
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) September 10, 2021
And while some in the press are going to laud the decision (laughable), it’s a pretty good shibboleth for who among them we all should ignore from here on in. The Andrews press conferences in 2020 were keeping the state informed; at a time when information was vital for our emotional and psychological wellbeing. Those pressers were sustaining, if difficult to endure once the floor opened to pernicious and stupid questions from the likes of The Australian’s Rachel Baxendale and Sky News’ Gabriella Power.
Berejiklian, on the other hand, seems to have accepted the fact that she’s royally fucked up, can’t think of any way around it, and wants to hide under the bedding until such a time as she can come out. At the point, she’ll emerge dole out some PR-spun horseshit about 70% double dosing and freedoms and picnics and how we all did this together.
Yet, Berejiklian has been foreshadowing the pandemic in NSW was going to get to its worst, its toughest; that the hospital system would be stretched to its elastic limit in October, based on modelling the NSW Health Department had prepared. Modelling, by the way, she’s not been very forthcoming with. So, knowing that the state is headed for a cliff, she’s essentially jumped out of the driver’s seat to get a better view of the spectacle.
“I’ll turn up when I need to,” are words that emerged from her sneering maw today.
We should have seen this coming. It was all there: first, they stopped their Covid hotspots announcements. Then, they essentially abandoned contract tracing. Reports started emerging of people dying at home. And all that deeply, deeply offensive talk of “underlying health conditions” (which, for the record aren’t what killed them; the disease did – John F. Kennedy had crippling back pain and irritable bowel syndrome, but you didn’t read the Warren Commission mention any “underlying health conditions” when talking about how he died). Then there are people not going to the hospital and dying in their homes. There’s talk of the health system collapsing, meaning if the emergency wards are too full of Covid patients, you’d best not have a heart attack, or have a car accident, or slip on the pavement, or get hit by a bolt of lightning. Because Gladys has all but runs away from the slightest hint of public accountability.
Knowing that the state is headed for a cliff, Gladys has essentially jumped out of the driver’s seat to get a better view of the spectacle.
It would be totally fine for the NSW opposition leader to hold alternative press conferences at 11.00 am instead. They could stand there, read out the laundry list of the Berejiklian government’s abject, morbidly offensive shortcomings and failures, and the media would – by and large – show up and cover it. They have to cover something. (Phil Coorey may give it a swerve, having already penned the vomit-inducing Financial Review magazine cover story, ‘The Woman Who Saved Australia’).
The Labor opposition could front up on a daily basis with representatives of the state’s front-line workers, like nurses, teachers, and everyone else who is essential, advocating for those who seem to have been abandoned by this government, such as Aboriginal & disability communities, or GPs for that matter, as well as mental health experts. They could be the ones that convey the hard data, the facts we need to hear, the insights as to what’s happening in circles of power, and what the road forward looks like.
And people would watch. It’d get coverage, and in the absence of anything else, it would paint Berejiklian and her government in a bad light, and negative publicity is kryptonite to her. It’s further proof that all of these decisions, from both Berejiklian and Morrison alike, from lockdowns to vaccines and everything else, has been about polls and vanity from day one. It’s pathetic. They’re pathetic. Elections have consequences.
Sick of watching the COVID-19 pressers? Simple, don't watch them. But they need to happen. It doesn't have to be the NSW premier every day, but the government needs to be accountable as COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths peak.
— Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) September 10, 2021
This article was originally published on The Big Smoke.
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
19 comments
Login here Register here-
Henry Rodrigues
-
New England Cocky
-
leefe
-
Craig Robson
-
Anne Byam
-
Jo.
-
paul walter
-
Harry Lime
-
Kathryn
-
paul walter
-
DrakeN
-
Barry Thompson.
-
Ross
-
Lynette
-
Florence Howarth
-
paul walter
-
GL
-
paul walter
-
paul walter
Return to home pageWhat a bloody coward this woman is. When everything was going well, last year and with the money from land tax rolling in by the billions, the media portrayed her as St.Gladys of Macquarie St,. Even that snivelling pychophantic Philip Coorey dubbed her the Woman who saved Australia.
But when she faces a real test, of her own making, she decides to get back under the doona. The men of her rotten party must be nodding their heads knowingly, “Ah but she’s a woman, what did you expect ?” They knew about her bedroom escapades but gave her enough rope and she duly put her neck in the noose. They always had their doubts about her official abilities.
As for that bastard Scummo, bet he won’t be appearing alongside her for the near future. He doesn’t wanted to get infected with the Bereyeklian VIRUS.
The Liarbrals have to get gladbags out of the spotlight so that Scummo the Saviour can have his late 2021 feral elections touting that ”BY my actions I saved Australia from COVID.. Naturally, this is all lies of course, Scummo does NOT now how to tell any other story.
So, with COOVID positives running about 8,000+ per day, Australia will limp into the future of third world medicine like all the other developed OECD countries.
Now ….. is it just corporate incompetence, or as many would claim, a deliberate (likely American) strategy to bring down the advanced worlds to the same pitiful state of the third world?
“I’ll turn up when I need to.”
Australia needed you to turn up when the Ruby Princess docked. You were missing in action then and, for all practical purposes, have been ever since.
She’s a fcking sociopath
What a sleazebag she’s turned out to be. Wouldn’t be surprised if the lovely doc at the head of things, thinks the same thing. After all, madam-at-the-head ( of a RWNJ State government ) has been reported – – many times today – – that she chose to ‘over-ride’ the top health professionals who it is said, wanted total opening up ONLY when full vaccination reached 80>85% which makes absolute sense.
As for her disappearance, perhaps she is just trying to emulate her boss in Canberra and his disappearing act last summer. Could be she’s hiding in Hawaii ??
This arrogant piece of work, is a total disgrace. If she is aware of her incompetency, ( and I have a sneaking suspicion that she is ) then she should remove herself …. but of course, she won’t.
As for Labor taking over the role : “The Labor opposition could front up on a daily basis with representatives of the state’s front-line workers, like nurses, teachers, and everyone else who is essential, advocating for those who seem to have been abandoned by this government,”
I can’t think there would be a better idea than this … I sure hope Labor do just that.
Anne Byam – Yes Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to vacate the daily briefing might have created a potential political vacuum but she and her advisers know that only too well. It will be interesting to see what they (both sides) provide in its stead.
Always a big mistake to underestimate the intelligence of opponents. The political hard-heads on both sides of the ideological aisle are rarely guilty of that failing. Rather they leave that to the barrackers who never get to play in the real game. No the real differences are found in attitudes and values – not intelligence.
Interesting comment, Jo.
What disturbs me is an almost total abdication of responsibility from huge chunks of media and press.
This silence has become deafening. Only Anne Davies at the Guardian has seen fit to offer a comment.
It is not a resignation, although it appears to be an unconditional capitulation.
And (once again), where is Scott Morrison?
I agree, “always a mistake to underestimate…opponents”.
But still, it is asked, where is the sense of ethics and leadership with a real world disaster in under way and a leadership vacuum. Surely no time for silly games when hundreds of lives may be at stake and glaring inadequacies in a health system require accounting while those who should be leading plunder social infrastructure for rorts and tax cuts for the rich, even at this late stage in a slo mo train wreck.
So much remains unexplained concerning different aspects of what has unfolded over the last eighteen months; it is almost like a rerun of the bushfires debacle…so much a bonfire of the vanities as a craven selfish ideology is up held once again at the cost of many human lives.
Excellent idea Matthew, about Labor conducting their own pressers with all the available and essential information.The question is,would they risk the blowback from all the usual suspects,and no doubt the blocking of information from the cowards government?It would be worth it for the sheer apoplexy it would cause,and the strong possibility of shaking more people out of their political apathy.Hello Labor,anyone home?
Conservative, Murdoch-manipulated, rusted-on right wing Australians are prepared to put up with a HELLUVA lot more shit dished out by the non-achieving, bone-idle, ineffective parasites in the LNP than they would EVER tolerate from left-wing politicians in Labor or The Greens! It seems that the useless, lying, conniving, pompous politicians in the Lying Nasty Party are given “special dispensations” to get away with BLUE MURDER or, alternatively, to sit on their hands and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING during one of the worst crisis to have ever hit this nation! This complete lack of responsibility by Morrison and his party of corrupt, self-serving miscreants is nothing new – history has shown that when the shit hits the fan, LNP politicians (State and Federal) have a habit of keeping their heads firmly in the ground and/or laying the blame on anyone and everyone EXCEPT themselves and/or (in the case of the pathetic publicity-seeking Morrison and Gladys Berejiklian) popping up regularly on television to spew out meaningless announcement whilst, in reality, actually doing NOTHING to prevent or assist our nation in crisis!
Morrison has proven – over and over again – that his ignominious rise to power on the back of his treacherous betrayal of Michael Towke and Malcolm Turnbull was to attain ALL the financial and promotional benefits of the Top Job BUT do NONE of the hard work that is required of him as PM. Instead Morrison procrastinates, delegates, relinquishes and abdicates ALL of HIS responsibilities to everyone and anyone EXCEPT the smug, smirking miscreant he sees in his mirror every morning! Morrison may try to hide or to run away – like he did during the catastrophic fires of NSW (when he was caught lounging in a deck chair in Hawaii) – but he can NEVER hide from the fact that he is nothing more than a vacuous, yellow-bellied coward unwilling and/or unable to drum up any semblance of leadership; totally incapable of making the HARD decisions or, at least, stand and support those who are actually DOING all the hard work that Morrison avoids with such excuses as “I can’t hold a hose!”.
After years of doing nothing but garnishing undeserved praise and support from the sycophantic Z-rated Murdoch rags, it has become evidently clear that Morrison’s deluded belief that he is a rising Messiah has done nought but turn public opinion of him 180 degrees when the rising majority of Australians now see him for what he REALLY is: a hollow, shallow callously inhumane sociopath who seeks ALL the glory but SHUNS all the responsibility as the most corrupt, non-achieving prime minister in history! The day cannot come soon enough when, hopefully, Morrison is kicked to the kerb where he belongs! The ONLY thing the LNP have achieved in nearly 8 years of incomprehensible corruption and non-achievement is listed below (click on the link) ….
https://chaser.com.au/national/an-exhaustive-list-of-the-liberal-partys-corruption-over-the-last-7-years/
Good comments, Kathryn.
The commercial “meedja”, of which the ‘right’ side of politics has a stranglehold, exists to promote the objectives of its owners and advertisers: any belief that it exists for the honest and complete presentation of factual information is an illusion.
The recent attacks on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation by the Murdoch empire is a ‘softening up’ precursor to the inevitable Federal election where the ABC is likely to influence the voting by presenting a touch of honest reporting and analysis into the maelstrom of lies, obfuscation and false promises which constitutes “electioneering” in this country (as well as most other so-called democracies).
Paul,
Read today’s Guardian. Katherine Murphy has given Gladys a real caning.
It didn’t take long for Covid to turn Gladys the “woman who saved Australia” into “Gladys the Binchicken” who after declaring a medical disaster in NSW and it’s all hands to the pumps throws her hands up in the air says ‘fuck it’ takes her bat and ball and goes home. Pathetic.
And it’s not as if the handpicked journalist pack are not totally on side unlike in Victoria where the group think is to screech at Dan Andrews to do what they think Rupert wants. Pathetic.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out things are set to get much worse in NSW and now Gladys has done a bunk. Pathetic.
The people of NSW should crowd fund a one way ticket to Hawaii for ‘Golden Gladys’.
Never, send her on holiday. Crazy, She is on a permanent holiday. Thanks for the great thinking of earlier comments. Indeed what about some real Press briefings from people who will tell us like it is. Be great to have some unvarnished truth for a change.
The election will be called the day Gladys declares 70% vaccinated. Sadly won’t be evenly spread across the state. I won’t be far wrong to see the Central Coast with low vaccinations, rising virus infections. I dread the day.
Barry Thompson. Thanks.
Better folk than me.
Flo, it is typical Morrison. Apparently the CMO suggests 85% as a threshold.
But when scumbags like Morrison and Binchicken suggest 70 or 80 %we know from past painful experience that decoded it means the totally ineffectual 70% and the statement is a sop and a lie for practical purposes.in aid of shoe-horning in a lunatic policy devised for the most myopic, lunatic and selfish of reasons.
Craven cowardice!
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/11/nsw-covid-crisis-brad-hazzard-defends-end-to-daily-press-conferences-as-cases-and-death-toll-worsen
Thinking further on Barry Thompson, Doffs cap to our friend
For those interested, the Murphy piece:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/11/trying-to-do-our-best-is-just-not-good-enough-from-our-leaders.
Also, the earlier Davies:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/10/gladys-berejiklian-cuts-her-nsw-daily-press-conference-just-as-covid-cases-peak-that-is-a-dereliction-of-duty
So, in short
the answer is
BARILARO.
And whoever else, further afield hiding in the dark behind the spiv.
But the question is.
” Why the indecent haste?”