Talkback radio callers have unloaded Gladys Berejiklian over the lockdown extension, with host Ben Fordham saying the community is at a “breaking point”. 2GB host Ben Fordham has slammed Premier Gladys Berejiklian over the lockdown extension, saying the NSW community and businesses are at “breaking point”.
People are at breaking point; businesses are at breaking point,” he said.
“And now the health advice – aren’t we sick of hearing about the health advice? Small businesses everywhere on their knees cannot deal with this again, but they’re being forced to. The health advice insists on another week of lockdown.
The talkback radio presenter said his call-in lines and text messages were “off the charts” with “white-hot rage” this morning from residents furious at reports Ms. Berejiklian will extend the state’s Covid-19 lockdown by another week until Friday, July 16.
“This is just getting ridiculous now,” caller Michael told the program. “About 1500 people a year die of the flu. Did we shut the bloody city down?”
Caller Scott said the “difference between this lockdown and the last lockdown” was that last time, “we all believed the government had a plan”.
“There are six million people locked in their homes, nobody knows how they’re going to pay the rent, and ScoMo’s posting pictures of a curry he’s made,” Scott said.
“People are OK with being locked down if they know there’s a plan, but the plan (announced) last week (by Prime Minister Scott Morrison) was like Yes Minister. It doesn’t seem like there’s any urgency, anyone running the show who knows what they’re doing, no accountability.”
Caller Chris said he was “upset”. “(To) the people in power – and that’s all it’s about – look after the vulnerable, look after the elderly, and leave the rest of us alone,” he said.
Open Sydney, look after older people, look after the vulnerable. That’s it.
Deborah said she was “absolutely ropeable” at being “drip-fed” information by the media before the Premier’s announcement at 11 am. She suggested Ms. Berejiklian wanted to gauge the public reaction so she knew how to present herself at the press conference.
“I can assure you it (will be) extreme anger (from) us who pay your wages and vote you into these positions,” she said. City of Sydney councilor Angela Vithoulkas told the program she was “getting calls every day from business owners, particularly in the CBD, who are telling me they’re ready to end their lives because they can’t find a way out of this”. “Their debt has increased between $100,000 to $300,000 in the last 18 months, and they will never crawl out from under this ridiculous approach to the pandemic,” she said.
“I don’t know what to do either. How do I tell someone don’t commit suicide and end their life when there is nothing for them and their families to look forward to? This is the situation.”
Earlier, Fordham outlined the economic devastation being caused by the lockdowns.
“179 NSW businesses closed their doors for good last month,” he said.
“Since the start of the pandemic, 1000 have shut up shop. Every day we’re in lockdown, we lose $140 million. The knock-on effect is enormous. There are 60,000 NSW mortgages at extreme risk. People can’t cope, people aren’t coping, and I don’t think they are being considered enough when we continue these restrictions.”
