Dan Andrews fans have turned against Jim’s Mowing after the franchise banned the controversial former Victorian premier from using any of its services.
Jim’s Mowing boss Jim Penman was the latest in a growing list of business owners to publicly ban Mr Andrews last week, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed.
Penman heavily criticized the Victorian government for its Covid lockdown measures and in 2020 joined an ongoing multi-million-dollar class action lawsuit against the state.
He said Friday that he would never mow Mr. Andrews’ lawn or allow him to use any of the company’s other services, such as Jim’s Legal.
But many Victorians have rallied to Andrews’ defense on social media, questioning whether the former premier would even care about the snub from Jim’s Mowing and its franchises.
“Something tells me Jim’s ‘anything’ was never at the top of Dan’s list,” said one.
‘That’s ok. I’ll just add any of Jim’s franchises to the list of businesses I boycott,” said another.
“Dan wouldn’t touch it with a forty-foot barge pole,” fumed a third.
Many Victorians have rallied to Andrews’ defense on social media.
Another added: “I’m sure poor Dan has tears in his eyes from laughing so much.”
Penman has joined the likes of former AFL star Paul Dimattina, who runs popular venue Lamaro’s Hotel in Melbourne’s south, and who banned Andrews from his premises last week.
Meanwhile, restaurateur Chris Lucas revealed he told Andrews’ wife Cath “not available” after she called to book a table at his Windsor restaurant Hawker Hall, located in the once-bustling Melbourne district. Chapel St during Covid lockdown.
Lucas also revealed that Di Stasio, a famous Melbourne restaurant group that is not part of his hospitality group, also denied Andrews a reservation for his birthday around the same period.
Both Lucas and Di Stasio owner Rinaldo Di Stasio were openly critical of Andrews’ hardline approach to Covid, which saw Melbourne suffer 262 days of lockdown, more than any other city in the world.
But restaurant owners, who say the closure has crippled their business, aren’t the only Victorians blacklisting Andrews.
Jim’s Mowing boss Jim Penman was the latest in a growing list of business owners to publicly ban Mr Andrews last week.
The prestigious National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula banned Andrews from joining and there were also rumors that the exclusive Portsea Golf Club brought down the former prime minister.
Melbourne golfers were outraged by the Victorian government’s ban on the sport during lockdown, even though it is held outdoors with large distances between players and provides a rare outlet for exercise.
Andrews was Premier of Victoria for almost nine years before resigning at the end of 2023.
He has since taken on a new role as president of Orygen, a Melbourne-based youth mental health research organisation.
In October, Orygen’s board of directors appointed him to the position for a three-year term.
His appointment has been criticized due to the toll the pandemic has reportedly taken on Victorians’ mental health.