It’s no secret that Victorian Labor have little time for the people of the Mornington Peninsula. They have held Government for 17 of the last 21 years and we have become only too used to living with failing infrastructure and under funded services despite strong population growth.
But we have reached a new low in recent weeks, and Labor’s contempt has been plain to see since the Stage 3 Restrictions were re-introduced at the start of July.
When Stage 3 began there were no Corona Virus cases on the Mornington Peninsula. In fact, after adjustment, there was only one case on the whole Peninsula between late May and the start of the shutdown.
The City of Greater Geelong, across the bay, had active cases when Stage 3 restrictions were imposed on the Peninsula, yet they avoided the shutdown. When we went to Stage 4 they did not.
Between 8th July and yesterday Geelong had experienced 295 cases of the virus compared with 120 on the Peninsula. Two and a half times as many cases yet Peninsula residents remained locked in their homes and local business remain closed by order of the Government.
But from today the people of Geelong are able to travel (as long as they stay away from Melbourne), allowed to have 5 visitors in their homes, and free to resume outdoor sports and their favourite recreational pursuits without limits.
The Premier claims to be driven by the science, but there’s not much science in the decision to punish the Peninsula.
I am not saying close down Geelong, they’ve earned their freedom. But, its about time the Government admitted the Peninsula is not part of metropolitan Melbourne, that it never has been, and immediately return us to regional Victoria where we have always belonged.