Labor MPs knew Herbert was finally cooked, Matt Johnston writes

AFTER watching Labor and Daniel Andrews haemorrhage political goodwill for two weeks over his pampered pooches, MP Steve Herbert was forced to throw in the towel.

• Premier surrenders as Herbert finally quits

AFTER watching Labor and Daniel Andrews haemorrhage political goodwill for two weeks over his pampered pooches, Corrections Minister Steve Herbert was forced to throw in the towel yesterday.

As the world sat down to watch Trump take on Clinton, the usually affable MP released a statement saying he would quit Cabinet because he had become a distraction.

For reasons he knows best, the Premier wanted to stress publicly, “I did not sack him”, and that this was Herbert’s decision.

MP Steve Herbert at Parliament House. Picture: David Smith

But Labor MPs knew Herbert was finally cooked after an abysmal performance in parliament this week, when he couldn’t say how many times his dogs were ferried between his Parkdale house and a Trentham property at taxpayer expense.

He couldn’t even offer up any dates for the “one, or possibly two” times the dogs were chauffeured.

That it took this long for Herbert to go was a surprise to many — particularly voters who read a minister had ordered his chauffeur to pick up pets named Patch and Ted and drive them alone across the state.

MPs have speculated on several reasons it took so long. Herbert certainly dug in after initially telling the Herald Sun his decision to use a taxpayer-funded car to move his pets across the state wasn’t a big deal.

Perhaps, some mused, factional politics played a part. Steve Herbert is aligned to powerbroker Kim Carr, who has so far urged his industrial Left comrades to remain united behind Dan, despite some poisonous internal animosity.

Then there’s the risk that Herbert wasn’t the only one with driver indiscretions.

Steve Herbert's dogs Patch (left) and Ted. Picture: Supplied: Facebook

Whatever the reasons, the bottom line for Andrews is he appeared weak for failing to act. After thundering for years that he would bring accountability back to government, he let a freeloading minister keep his job. Andrews is approaching his two-year anniversary and desperately wants voters to focus on what he’s doing in bread-and-butter state issues like transport and Herbert’s former portfolio of training and skills.

Instead, he’s down another minister (that’s three in two years), he has newbie minister Gayle Tierney in charge of corrections and training, and has left the impression he’s leading a government that’s gone to the dogs.