Perhaps mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has got used to the idea that he can boss around Australian governments, after his 2010 campaign against the Minerals Resource Rent Tax contributed directly to the downfall of then-PM Kevin Rudd. Perhaps he is just eager to bootlick the Communists who pour billions into his pockets.
Either way, if he expected public accolades for his extraordinary campaign of white-anting the Morrison government over the Chinese virus, he was sadly mistaken. Social media has lit up with fury, media pundits are apoplectic and politicians are hammering the billionaire.
The Prime Minister slapped down suggestions made the virus may have come from a Western country before it was discovered in Wuhan as “nonsense”, a claim that was recently made by the mining magnate.
“I don’t think anybody is in any fantasyland about where it started, it started in China,” Mr Morrison told 2GB on Friday morning.
“It started in China. That is not a statement of accusation or criticism, it’s just a statement of fact.”
[…]The billionaire has repeatedly defended China in recent days, where he has extensive business interests. Amid calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 he even speculated the virus could have started in Australia.
It’s also emerging that Forrest’s little Chinese mate has quite the past, too. The Australian has revealed that Long Zhou was previously one of China’s “top cyber spies” and propaganda agents. Old habits are dying hard, obviously.
Forrest’s actions are bringing together some strange bedfellows. Suffice to say that former PM Malcolm Turnbull rarely backs his old party, let alone the PM who ousted him. This time, though, he’s on the same page.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull backed the push for an independent inquiry into the origin of COVID-19.
“The point I made in my book, I said that if there is ever a dispute between Australia and the Chinese government, you can never expect any support and solidarity from the Australian business community,” Mr Turnbull said.
“Invariably, they are totally invested in the economic aspect of the relationship and if there is any conflict between Australia and China, they will generally side with China.”
Radio firebrand Alan Jones isn’t holding back, either.
Broadcaster Alan Jones has made a blistering attack on Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest saying the billionaire must apologise to the nation.
Jones quoted a press release from Mr Forrest’s office which said: “Let’s show support for China.”
“Support for China?” Jones asked.
“When they are responsible for telling lies about infecting three million people around the world, responsible for a quarter of a million deaths.”
[…]After playing a portion of Mr Zhou’s speech on air, which included the words, “We’re all in this together,” Jones said, “This bloke’s kidding isn’t he?
“And Greg Hunt and us had to listen to this crap.
“Millions of people have tested positive, a quarter of million have died.
“And I might add while all this is going on, while this blabbermouth in Melbourne, there’s Beijing in the middle of a global pandemic trying to exert unilateral control of areas in the south China sea disputed by others.”
Communist dictatorships have always had their self-interested useful idiots.
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