Andrews turning neighbours against each other is the ‘hallmark of totalitarianism’ | Sky News

The Victorian government misleading the public on the number of people disobeying stay-at-home orders is a clever, but “cynical and underhanded” strategy by Premier Daniel Andrews to turn people against each other, says Sky News host Rita Panahi.

The impetus for Victoria’s harsh lockdown and curfew on Wednesday was revealed as untrue, as Victoria Police said only 42 Victorians, not hundreds, had received fines for breaching COVID isolation laws.

Victorian Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent revealed only 42 Victorians have received fines for failing to isolate in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Victorian premier, on July 22 and July 30, stated hundreds of Victorians were refusing to isolate despite having COVID-19.

When the premier introduced the harsh new lockdown measures in Victoria on August two, he said the impetus for the new laws was “too many (Victorians) not taking this seriously”.

Ms Panahi said it was extremely clever to “turn people against each other” as it meant people were blaming their neighbours rather than focusing on the government programs which led to the state’s COVID-19 debacle.

Fellow Sky News host James Morrow said this fell under the idea that people serve the government rather than the other way around.

“Governments around this country, they’ve forgotten that they are there to serve us to make our lives better, to make our economy as strong as possible,” he said.

“Isn’t this the hallmark of totalitarianism when you start turning neighbours against each other,” Sky News host Rowan Dean said.