Premier's surprise response to cafe owner's $1 'Daniel Andrews tax'
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews has brushed off a café owner’s surcharge for customers who support the state’s top MP.
The owner of Arcobar in Melbourne’s Moorabbin, Franz Madlener, put up a sign saying, “Do you support Dan? Add $1 to your order”.
The sign stated that the “RED” surcharge would be added to “every order for those people who think Dan is doing a great job”.
The hospitality sector has been calling for a lifeline from the Andrews government as daily coronavirus cases dropped to low levels. Businesses were left out of Mr Andrews’ last round of changes on October 19, to the anger of industry leaders.
Responding to the cafe’s scheme at Thursday’s press conference, Mr Andrews said he “wasn’t offended” by the cafe’s stunt.
“There's been plenty worse things written about me on walls and in newspapers than that,” he said.
Premier sympathises with cafe owner following response
And in a dignified move, Mr Andrews called on people to respect the café owner after he had been abused online and in person.
“Abusing that bloke doesn't protect anybody,” he said.
“And I think he's had some pretty nasty stuff directed his way and I just don't think that's right, I’d ask people to not do that, that does not serve any purpose at all.”
Mr Andrews on Tuesday said the state was on course to ease hospitality and retail restrictions from next week if the state’s low daily coronavirus numbers continued.
On Thursday, Victoria announced five new cases with health authorities ramping up testing across five northern suburbs in an attempt to stop the outbreak of at least three cases.
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