Premier Daniel Andrews criticises ‘endlessly negative’ critics in Albanese unemployment saga

The same question Anthony Albanese failed to answer earlier this week was posed to the Premier the following day.

Premier Daniel Andrews correctly recalled Victorian unemployment statistics at a press conference on Tuesday, saying talk about federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s error citing the Australian data was “endlessly negative”.

Mr Albanese was unable to answer questions on Monday about the RBA cash rate and unemployment rate.

When asked about Victoria’s unemployment, Mr Andrews replied: “In regional Victoria it’s 3 per cent.

“It’s 4.2 per cent across the state, just a little bit above the overall (national) number.

“Our participation rate’s at about 67 per cent I think.

“I never talk about full employment – I know some people do – I’ll always fight for every extra job … but if you look at regional unemployment at 3 per cent now, I think it was at about six-and-a-half, 6.6, when you go back to when we came to government, and indeed statewide unemployment was two-and-a-half-plus points higher than it is now.”

Although Mr Andrews said he was not employed as a commentator for his party’s federal branch, nor for the election broadly, he said Australians would “work out who they want to govern them for the next three years”.

“I’ve known Anthony for a long time,” he said.

“He’s passionate; he’s hard-working. He’s someone who’s delivered whenever he’s been given the opportunity to do that.

“There’ll be some people who’ll be endlessly negative. They’re always negative. I’m not negative when it comes to Anthony and the work that he’s done and the track record that he has and the promises that he’s already made and the many more that I’m sure he’ll make over the coming weeks.

“It’ll come as no surprise to you, everyone in my household – three people are voting in my household – we’re all voting for a change.”