Jeff Kennett: Daniel Andrews’ departure doesn’t change dynamics for Victoria

The legacy of the Andrews government will be like a millstone around the neck of Victorian citizens and business for decades to come.

Do not think that former premier Daniel Andrews resignation in any way changes the dynamics for Victoria.

It will not.

On Tuesday, I spoke politely of the man and wished him and his family well in the next stage of their lives.

Today I speak about the legacy of his leadership of the state.

The legacy of the Andrews government will continue for decades. It will be like a millstone around the neck of Victorian citizens and business.

Without a serious change in policy execution Victoria could again become a basket case.

For nine years Mr Andrews governed with absolute authority.

His parliamentary party was putty in his hands.

For me his greatest failure has been deliberately spending beyond the state’s capacity to pay.

Not spending money that we had in the bank, but monies he borrowed in our name.

For years I have been warning about the impact and cost of too much borrowings. The subject may not be sexy, but the impact is now being realised.

All the major services that a state government should provide: health, education, housing, law and order, and quality of our roads are all in a critical condition.

Daniel Andrews might be gone, but he won’t be forgotten by Victorians. Picture: Getty

Sadly, these areas of public policy have not received the priority they deserved.

While Mr Andrews must accept the majority of the blame for this reckless dangerous escalation in our debt, his two closest confidants must also accept part of the blame.

Treasurer Tim Pallas is a nice fellow, but he has not had the strength of character to curtail Mr Andrews’ headlong march into debt.

The other person who must accept a great deal of blame is Jacinta Allan, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and previously Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery.

Every major piece of infrastructure is running late on delivery and is massively over budget. In fact, the mismanagement of the Big Build has been, and will be, the greatest contributor to our massive debt.

Now Ms Allan has been elected as Victoria’s next Premier.

With due respect, she has not run professionally the portfolios she was allocated. How is she in any way the right person to lead the management of the state to get control of the blowout in debt that she has partly created, and rebuild our fundamental services?

Ms Allan is clearly not our Premier now because she is the best person in the Cabinet to confront this challenge, but simply because she was preferred by her predecessor, and is part of the largest faction within the parliamentary Labor Party, the Socialist Left faction.

She has become Premier, not as a result of a gender consideration or merit, but because she is considered the most senior or best member of the socialist faction to continue the policies of the government.

Jacinta Allan must accept a lot of the blame for the failings of the Andrews government, Jeff Kennett says. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Sadly, the truth is Jacinta Allan has demonstrated that she is simply not qualified for leadership of Victoria.

I say again, I have nothing personal against Daniel Andrews or Jacinta Allan. Where I strongly differ with them is the policies they have and are pursuing, without a care in the world as to who is paying the price of their mismanagement. We Victorians.

Mr Andrews has left the office, Jacinta Allan will follow at some stage, but we Victorians will be paying the price of their wilfulness for decades.

That is why I am so upset and disappointed. Every government since mine has acted financially responsibly, whether they be Liberal or Labor, until the Andrews government..

In nine years, the Andrews government generated the largest debt of any state in the country. A state without income tax collections, nor company taxes, nor royalties.

Therefore, revenue to government fundamentally comes from Victorian residents.

That is why property taxes are rising, new taxes being introduced on Airbnb properties, payroll taxes and workers compensation.

We are starting to pay a price for the policy decisions and failures of this Labor government.

It is a price many can no longer pay, and it will get worse.

In any profession, in any undertaking, you are judged not on where you started, or in politics, how many elections you have won, but whether what you were in charge of is in a better place when you leave than when you started.

In the case of Mr Andrews’ leadership the answer is clearly no, and that will become increasingly obvious over the next few years and decades.

Now that Ms Allan is Premier, does she have the experience and runs on the board that might indicate she has what it takes to understand the issues, let alone address them?

I see no evidence of that at all. I hope she proves me wrong!

That said, the King is dead, Long live the Queen.