Jeff Kennett: Victoria desperately needs a leadership and policy reset — it’s time for Jacinta Allan to resign

The failings of the Premier are numerous and damaging, she is totally out of touch with her community and not listening – it’s time she resigns.

I do not say it lightly, but the time has come for Jacinta Allan to accept responsibility for what she has overseen and failed to deliver.

Leadership.

Ms Allan has been a close friend and associate with her predecessor Daniel Andrews.

His course of action put Victoria on a spiralling descent into an economic recession, in part due to embarking on a range of infrastructure projects all at once, very expensive, badly managed, all running late on delivery and massively over budget.

The social impact of two years in lockdown here in Victoria is still being felt, as so many of our youth turn to crime on our streets and in our homes.

That was the start of the decline in the quality of services a state government should provide, not to mention the roads we all use regularly.

As Deputy, Ms Allan was minister for these major projects, including the Commonwealth Games. Fail, fail!

Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines announce Shane Patton’s resignation. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

When Andrews retired from politics he anointed Ms Allan as his successor. On becoming premier, Ms Allan had the opportunity to distance herself from the policies of Andrews, but she did not. In fact, she has hunkered down on them, even in the face of Victoria’s deteriorating financial position.

To address that, she and then treasurer Tim Pallas started an attack on middle-income Victorians and businesses through a massive increase in taxes and charges on Victorian families and businesses.

To the point that many businesses have closed, and many families are selling assets they can no longer afford.

Ms Allan continues to defend and promote the Suburban Rail Loop; the most stupid, irresponsible project to have been commenced when the state simply could not afford it.

Ms Allan is now trying to redefine the SRL by calling it a housing project. Totally out of touch with her community. Not listening.

Ms Allan has continued to promote the controversial Suburban Rail Loop. Supplied

Ms Allan and her Minister for Energy, Lily D’Ambrosio, have declared gas to be a public enemy, which will cost Victorian families and businesses dearly in the years to come, to the point Victoria is going to have to import gas soon.

Then there has been, and is, the crisis within the Victorian police force. The government has taken the police for granted. While settling EBA’s with every other unionised public sector workforce, they refused to settle the police claim.

Police Commissioner Shane Patton, in representing his force’s requirements, was repeatedly rejected by the government. As Patton tried to have the government change the bail laws and other legislation in the face of a growing crime rate in the community, he was continually rejected. The Premier, instead of listening to the police chief, ignored his pleas.

As police numbers fell, while demand for their services grew, morale dropping, the police union aimed their weapon against their chief, instead of the real culprit, the Premier.

She could have resolved both issues — employment conditions and legislation to back the police force in attacking the crime rate. She did nothing.

If it was good enough to say Commissioner Patton had failed, and his contract was not going to be extended, the failings of the Premier are more numerous and damaging.

Ms Allan should apply the same criteria to herself as she applied to Mr Patton.

Ms Allan has continued to oversee government debt piling up in Victoria. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Victoria desperately needs a leadership and policy reset.

Spending more money now to try and reverse the situation will in fact only make matters worse.

I do not call for Jacinta Allan’s removal or dismissal lightly.

To be Premier of a state is a great honour. But it is an honour that carries great responsibilities.

Any fair test or assessment of Andrews’s and Allan’s leadership would conclude we are substantially worse off now than in 2014 when Labor was first elected here in Victoria.

We have an economic and social crisis here and an increasing lack of confidence in their leadership and that of the government.

Do the honourable thing Premier and apply to yourself the same standards you applied to the Police Commissioner and resign.