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Frydenberg’ s folly

What’s happened to Josh Frydenberg? As many have commented, Frydenberg’s vicious attack on Victoria’s Premier, Dan Andrews, came as a surprise. It’s intensity was extraordinary. Why?

Only he would know. We can but surmise. What did you conclude?

Here’s my assessment:

First, here are his acerbic words:
”Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg labelled the premier's handling of the (COVID-19) crisis as 'the biggest public policy failure by a state government in living memory'”.
Josh Frydenberg is ambitious. He hopes one day to become PM. He knew that his very public attack on Andrews would propel him into the public limelight and portray him as a strong future leader. Was Morrison watching ? Did he feel the need to protect his back? Or was he so sure of himself that he thought he could allow Frydenberg to go out as an attack dog to do his dirty work?

And Dan Andrews was the ideal target - a Labor figure who has been attacked from all sides of the conservative spectrum. Andrews’ daily press reports on the status of COVID -19 in Victoria have been helpful and informative. He stays put at the rostrum until every question has been addressed. You can imagine how irritating his opponents find him! Some express their distaste of him in florid terms in the social media: “I can’t stand the sight of him”. Frydenberg knew that attacking Andrews would draw enthusiastic support from his conservative colleagues.

Frydenberg is politically smart. He knew that any attack he mounted would need to be dressed up in economic garb to give it authenticity. This was easy for him - being Treasurer, he has an abundance of economic bullets in his armoury. But his bullets we not aimed simply at wounding Andrews’ economic credentials; they were intended to wound him personally. The venom of Frydenberg’s words is testimony to that. If you’re sceptical about this assessment of his intentions, read his words again.

So why is this piece titled Frydenberg’s folly?.

Because in one fell swoop he has morphed his image as a credible commentator on the nation’s accounts into just another partisan attack dog. He has replaced his reputation in the area of finance with what we have come to despise so profoundly.

That is his folly!

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3 COMMENTS

Phil Pryor

11/09/2020
  1. This treasurer, too many my old classmate J Howard, the supreme idiot here is a defective, a loudmouthed self inflated erection of fantasy talent, which does not exist. But he is one of many drenched ikn ancient superstition which feeds vanity, righteousness, aberrations galore. The more turd is stirred, the more it stinks, so comment will not affect the self created imaginary glory of his career, any more than it would of the Pathetic Moron at the wheel of state. Having followed every article, statistic, ly strategy, I suggest D Andrews has done more and better than any other Australian in this crisis, but is let down and betrayed by.., human nature, the cheating and lying so blessed of the conservative types.

Wam

11/09/2020

Haha, a great read as usual, Ad, you have panned fryed de burger and he has caramelised his onions with his flat faced eye squinting. Perhaps his attack on Andrews is to show Andrews there is another religion?

Neil Hogan

11/09/2020

All I saw was Fraudenberg hyperventilating and I'm surprised he didn't start frothing at the mouth.

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