After spending the majority of 2020 criticising the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ coronavirus response, Andrew Bolt has announced that he is leaving Melbourne for good.
In a column published in the Herald Sun on Wednesday, Bolt wrote that he had sold his house and will be “heading bush, without a single tear”.
Bolt was born in Adelaide but moved to Melbourne via Asia and Murray Bridge over 40 years ago. He pointed to what he saw as increased politicial correctness, more violence and traffic jams as reasons for his leaving.
As you might expect for such a divisive figure, the response from many Melburnians on Twitter has ranged from a mild shrug to pure jubilation.
Comedian Denise Scott wrote that nobody would be “shedding a tear” at Bolt’s departure.
I’m Melbourne born & bred. I’m passionate about this city. I love it. More now than ever. My god what we’ve been through. But Andrew Bolt tells us he’s left it without ‘shedding a tear.’ Point is Andrew none of us are shedding a tear at your departure so just go & enjoy.
— Denise Scott (@_denisescott) December 2, 2020
While Peter Helliar disputed the sentiment of the column.
Looking forward to once again visiting all corners of this great country in the months, years ahead but I have never loved my home city of Melbourne more than I do right now. Sorry Mr. Bolt, you have an awful read of this city.
— Peter Helliar (@pjhelliar) December 2, 2020
One Twitter user compared his column to an exit speech that people often write in Facebook groups before they click “Leave group”, while journo and columnist Mike Carlton simply noted that now a new village “gets an idiot”.
A new village gets an idiot… pic.twitter.com/QLwIfrJQbj
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) December 2, 2020
Bolt has attracted controversy over the years for his bold and, at times, inaccurate claims. Recently, Bolt argued that Victoria’s COVID-19 restrictions are ruining the economy “to save aged-care residents from dying a few months earlier”.
