‘Hand over the password’: Dan Andrews’ cheeky final post

Daniel Andrews has taken to Facebook for the final time, his post comes just a week after he resigned as Premier of Victoria.

Daniel Andrews has recreated an iconic meme in a cheeky farewell post to his followers on Facebook.

The former Victorian premier posted a photo of himself on the phone in China along with the instruction to “hand over the password” to the Premier’s Facebook account.

The backdrop of Tiananmen Square called to mind a photo of the former Premier in China in 2016 which became a famous internet meme.

The updated meme which the former Premier posted today along with the instruction to "hand over the password" to the Facebook page. Picture: Facebook

The original image from 2016. Picture: @danielAndrewsMP/Twitter

The older-looking Dan in Friday’s post suggests he took time out of another trip to China this year to update the famous image.

The original snap became an internet sensation, being quickly turned into a meme to accompany news of everything from earthquakes to extended covid lockdowns.

In another post, Mr Andrews thanked his followers for their support and said the time had come to handover to his successor.

“Being Premier of our state was an honour and I can’t thank you all enough for your support,” he wrote.

“Now it’s time to hand the keys over to Premier Jacinta Allan.”

The instruction accompanying the Premier's final post. Picture: Facebook

The outgoing Premier said it was time to hand over the keys to his successor Jacinta Allan. Picture: Facebook

The post comes more than a week after he resigned as the Premier of Victoria.

Jacinta Allan was sworn in as Victoria’s 49th premier on Wednesday last week, a day after Mr Andrews shock announcement.

During his press conference he explained it was “time” to hand over the reigns after nine years in the top job.

“(This is) not an easy decision because, as much as we have achieved together, there is so much more to do,” Mr Andrews said.

“But when it’s time, it’s time.

“It’s not an easy job being the premier of this state, that’s not a complaint it’s just a fact.

“To have been premier for nine years and the leader of my party for 13 years is a greater set of opportunities that I ever thought be afforded to me.

“I came from the country with only really an aspiration to do good, to work hard and to work with teams of people that perhaps make things better.

“Can I say to you that the moment you are not comfortable with that choice, doing this job as a defining feature of your entire life pretty much, the moment you are not comfortable with that decision for you and the people that you love, that’s when you have to step away.

“Because you never want to get to a place where you resent this job, this amazing privilege and important opportunity.

“That would not be right and I simply will not allow that to happen. As you well know public life is about subjecting yourself to the judgement of others.

“It will be for others to judge my time in parliament and my years of leadership.”

There has been a lot of speculation in recent weeks about what Mr Andrews will do next.

The outgoing Premier is widely tipped to take up a lucrative role in the corporate sector or become a diplomat.

But the man himself has suggested he is in no rush, and his Facebook biography backs that up.

“Keen golfer” is now the only description of a man who led Victoria through 9 turbulent years and took Labor to 3 dominant election wins.

Originally published as ‘Hand over the password’: Dan Andrews’ cheeky final post