'You have blood on your hands': Boss of Jim's Mowing writes open letter to 'arrogant' Dan Andrews over his lockdown extension – and Sam Armytage is behind him
- Premier Andrews has announced the lockdown will be extended by two weeks
- David 'Jim' Penman, has urged Dan Andrews to revise the state's recovery plan
- Appearing on Sunrise, Mr Penman said Andrews will have 'blood on his hands'
- He said the restrictions threaten to erode thousands of Victorians' mental health
- Sunrise Host Sam Armytage agreed with him, saying 'keep up the good fight'
The owner of Jim's Mowing has penned a fourth open letter to 'arrogant' Daniel Andrews, urging him to revise the state's recovery plan or face having 'blood on his hands' for eroding the mental health of Victorians.
Premier Andrews on Sunday announced the state's strict lockdown would be extended by two weeks, with the earliest possible lessening of restrictions to come on September 13.
But David 'Jim' Penman, a self-made millionaire who founded Jim's Mowing, believes the tough measures will put thousands of residents lives at risk, with 700 of his contractors battling with the stress of being out of work.
David 'Jim' Penman, has written to Premier Dan Andrews four times urging the politician to loosen lockdown restrictions to permit more industries to work for the sake of Victorians' mental health
Appearing on Sunrise on Tuesday, the business owner slammed the Andrews government for imposing disproportionate rules which he argues are doing more harm to the public.
'It is absolutely appalling what he has done, there is no justification for it,' he told host Samantha Armytage.
'The Stage Four guidelines clearly show no danger to sole operators working alone.'
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'Some of my independent contractors can't afford to eat and people have been threatened with eviction from their own homes. It's just a hopeless situation and there is so much despair and misery out there.'
'When you throw tens of thousands of people out of work without need you talk about mental health issue, suicide, drug addiction, child abuse, domestic violence and the rest.
'There are a lot of very grim things. I know of independent contractors on suicide watch. People will die as a result of the Premier's actions.'
Samantha Armytage agreed with Mr Penman's view that the Premier's coronavirus measures are too strict and detrimental for the public
Mr Penman, who has been fighting with the government over the rules preventing cleaners and gardeners in from working during the second shutdown, has written four letters to the politician but is yet to receive a response.
He said the guidelines are nonsensical as Victorian Council workers are permitted to operate despite conducting similar maintenance tasks as his employees.
'It is outrageous. Council workers approached me and they said they cannot comprehend what is going on,' he said.
'They keep asking why? What's the difference? We're less danger to public health and they are. The workers told me, "Why can we work and you can't?".
'Nobody can explain it. It is grossly unfair. It has just crushed our business.'
'The premier is totally arrogant and totally uninterested in Victorians.'
When asked what he personally thought of the politician, Mr Penman unleashed a blistering spray.
'He is an utter incompetent. He has stuffed the quarantine, he is stuffing the contract tracing, he is stuffing the testing. The only thing he is good at is trashing the Victorian economy,' he said.
'Especially industries like mine which are no threat to public health. He should absolutely step down.'
'He is the worst political leader since federation.'
Samantha Armytage agreed with Mr Penman's view that the Premier's measures are draconian and detrimental to Victorians' livelihoods.
'Keep up the good fight,' Armytage told Mr Penman.
In an earlier segment, the Sunrise host condemned the chaos unfolding in Victoria amid the tight restrictions.
Discussing footage of a woman being threatened by police for sitting on a park bench, Armytage compared the state to China.
'What is this, China? You are getting arrested for filming things?' she said.
'Yes they were not meant to be sitting there under the rules. Who is making these rules? It is ridiculous.'
Armytage added that she refused to call Premier Daniel Andrews' proposal out of coronavirus lockdown a 'road map'.
'Because road map suggests there is a plan and this is not necessarily a plan,' she said on Tuesday morning.
'We saw protests in Melbourne last weekend, there's going to be more this weekend.
'Victorians are sick to death of this and there is going to be civil disobedience.'
Melbourne has been in stage lockdown since August 2nd meaning residents can only leave the house for exercise, shopping, school and work, and caregiving.
The city also has a home curfew from 8pm until 5am, while the rest of the state is remains under stage three restrictions.
The business owner told Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and Karl Stefanovic on Tuesday that Mr Andrews would have 'blood on his hands' if the state recovery plan is not fast tracked
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) has been accused of destroying livelihoods
Mr Andrews has come under widespread fire for his 'road map' to recovery from coronavirus restrictions, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticising the extreme proposal.
Under the plan, lockdown will only end when there are an average of five cases per day, which is not expected until October 26.
'The plan that was outlined yesterday, I hope, is a worst-case scenario. I see it as a starting point in terms of how this issue will be managed in the weeks and months ahead in Victoria,' Mr Morrison said on Monday.
New South Wales has managed to remove lockdown and keep its economy going while suppressing cases to an average of less than 10 per day so far this month.
Mr Morrison noted that Sydney would be under lockdown if it followed Mr Andrews' road map.
'What I can't help but be struck by is that, under the thresholds that have been set in that plan, Sydney would be under curfew now,' he said.
'Sydney doesn't need to be under curfew now. They have a tracing capability that can deal with outbreaks.'
Victoria's case numbers have rapidly declined over the past month after consecutive days of daily figures soaring in the hundreds.
The daily increase only fell below 100 ten days ago, on August 29, the first time since July 5.
On Monday, the state recorded 41 new cases and nine deaths while NSW counted four, three of which were locally acquired and one in hotel quarantine.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Premier Dan Andrews for comment.
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