Left-wing ex-ABC Melbourne radio star ignites fury with outrageous column hoping 'smug and self-important' Sydney's outbreak will 'prick its self-righteous balloon' and expose NSW 'exaggerating claims putting us all at risk'

A Melbourne columnist is facing backlash for an opinion piece he wrote about Sydney's Covid lockdown, with critics accusing him of stoking hatred between the two cities. 

Former ABC Radio host Jon Faine published a column detailing his two opinions of Sydney's outbreak, from the perspective of 'good' and 'bad' Jon.

'Bad Jon' wrote that while he 'sincerely hopes no one dies... their two-week lockdown will prick their self-righteous balloon'.

He hoped it would 'put an end to the partisan, condescending and patronising nonsense that has been raining down on Victorians for months'.

The comments sparked outrage among Sydneysiders, who are enduring the 'scariest' period of the Covid pandemic to date, and Australians in general.

Former ABC Radio host Jon Faine published an article detailing his two opinions of Sydney's two-week lockdown, from the perspective of 'good' and 'bad' Jon

So far 112 local cases of Covid have been detected, spreading from a hub in Sydney's east throughout the state.

Critics accused Faine and the Melbourne-based paper of relishing in the suffering of millions.

Journalist Bridie Jabour said she couldn't believe there were Melburnians genuinely seeming to 'wish Covid on Sydney'.  

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been repeatedly condemned for his handling of the pandemic in Melbourne, in contrast to widespread praise directed toward NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Ms Berejiklian was adamant her state would never need to lockdown again and has repeatedly called on other governments to end their border closures and lockdowns in an attempt to keep the economy running.

Ms Berejiklian was adamant her state would never need to lockdown again and has repeatedly called on other governments to end their border closures and lockdowns in an attempt to keep the economy running

'Bad Jon' wrote that while he 'sincerely hopes no one dies... their two-week lockdown will prick their self-righteous balloon'

But on Saturday she was forced to backtrack on that statement as the highly infectious Delta strain of Covid infiltrates the community.

Rather than express any sympathy, Faine said it would 'do Sydney some good to be knocked off their high perch'.

Faine admitted to having conflicting feelings about Sydney's crisis, but ultimately still published an opinion that Ms Berejiklian wrongly held off on plunging the city into lockdown to 'justify their thinly disguised political posturing'.

'NSW Health have been making brave and exaggerated claims that have been undoubtedly putting their own people and the rest of us at risk. Then they made the absurd and irresponsible decision to defer a full lockdown,' he wrote.

'As things go wrong, it is on their heads and they will regret not going into lockdown when they found significant transmission.'   

Rather than express any sympathy, Faine said it would 'do Sydney some good to be knocked off their high perch'. Pictured: Deserted Sydney in lockdown on Sunday, June 27

Ms Berejiklian on Sunday dismissed such claims, arguing her government had always followed advice of its health experts.

'I do not regret a single decision we have taken because it has been based on health advice,' she said.

'Also when you are making a major decision to lock down millions and millions of people, you have to make sure it is based on health advice and not because you want to have zero cases every day.' 

Faine then took aim at Sydney itself, along with its residents, calling it 'so smug and self-important'.

He then, with some bitterness, accused the 'Sydney-centric' federal government of 'unquestioningly' supporting Ms Berejiklian because she is from the same party. 

'Too many people regarded Covid as a Melbourne thing; now they have to accept it is more than that,' he wrote.  

'At least as they now have a decent cluster in Sydney, Scott Morrison will finally be forced to fast-track mass vaccination with the urgency it requires and stop dawdling on getting the nation inoculated.' 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 910 Australians have died and there have been nearly four million fatalities globally. Of the victims in Australia, 820 were in Victoria. Pictured: Busy Flinders Street in Victoria during the latest lockdown in May

Faine's musings sparked an enormous backlash, not just from Sydneysiders, with some describing them as 'contemptible'.

'What sort of lunatic not only desires a lockdown on a whole city but actually commits those mean spirited thoughts to print? Save your projections for your therapist I suggest,' one critic said.

Another, a barrister from Victoria, said: 'Mock and criticise the governments and leaders. Go hard. I will be. But to say that our fellow Australians in NSW 'deserve' this, or that it 'serves them right' is contemptible.' 

Faine was a long time host of ABC Radio Melbourne's morning program and is a regular columnist in the Nine-owned newspaper. 

In spite of all the backlash, many dedicated former listeners and fans said Faine had succinctly summed up their own conflicting feelings in response to the Sydney cluster.

Critics have accused Faine and the Melbourne-based paper of relishing in the suffering of millions

Several admitted to niggling feelings of schadenfreude (taking pleasure from another person's misfortune), when hearing updates out of Sydney each day

Several admitted to niggling feelings of schadenfreude (taking pleasure from another person's misfortune), when hearing updates out of Sydney each day.

'Thank you Jon, on behalf of all of Melbourne. I've been horrified by Gladys & Morrison sniping about Victorian lockdowns and the NSW gold standard approach. While wishing them well, a bit of Victorian schadenfreude is in order,' one said.

Another wrote: 'I have to admit to having these thoughts too, Jon. I'm not proud of it, but you've summed it up perfectly.'  

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 910 Australians have died and there have been nearly four million fatalities globally.

Of the victims in Australia, 820 were in Victoria. There have been no deaths linked to the latest outbreak in New South Wales.  

Faine called Sydney 'smug and self-important' and noted 'too many people regarded Covid as a Melbourne thing; now they have to accept it is more than that'.