How Daniel Andrews kept iron-fisted control of Labor for so long
Daniel Andrews was backed by a loyal team of advisers and confidantes who were key to him holding on to power for nine years.
Victoria
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Daniel Andrews exercised iron-fisted control over his government, backed by a loyal team of advisers and confidantes who helped him sustain power for nine years.
Labor Party insiders say over the course of his reign — which included almost 13 years as leader of their party in Victoria — the Premier’s private office (PPO) had “more power than ministers” and were gatekeepers for policy development, funding discussions, and even parliamentary committee work.
Ministers, union leaders, and party elders said some difficult issues disappeared into a “black hole” in the PPO, which cast a political lens over everything – particularly in election years.
The pandemic heightened centralisation of decision-making, with one minister saying from that moment it was “off the Richter scale; everything is centrally controlled”.
More than two dozen senior Labor figures – across the state and federal parliament and broader party movement – told the Herald Sun last year the situation had the potential to undermine democracy and have long-term consequences. None chose to speak publicly.
“You can’t argue with where we (the government) are at. Ideally caucus should be engaged more, but the results at the moment speak for themselves,” one MP said at the time.
“When it goes well, it goes well, when it doesn’t, you get Kevin Rudd.”
A departure of factional figureheads in Victoria last term, combined with the suspension of members’ voting rights when branch-stacking allegations were aired in 2020 until earlier this year, meant the Premier had unprecedented control within his party.
Cabinet was described as a rubber stamp exercise, with decisions made by subcommittees with favoured ministers, while serial “pests” who want to discuss reforms are shut down.
One minister said the recent decision to kill off the Commonwealth Games was an attempt to include Cabinet so that everyone had buy-in to that call, but that they couldn’t remember if the decision to embark on the doomed event was actually brought to Cabinet.
“That decision was already made.”
Issues are filtered through the PPO, which redrafted key sections of the party’s platform ahead of the 2022 election, angering some unions and stakeholders.
Last year former police minister Lisa Neville, who retired at the 2022 election, rejected criticisms and said ministers who did their job were “left to do their job”.
Others, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Andrews as a control freak.
They also lifted the lid on cabinet discussions, including when the premier shut down a push to make radical changes to sexual harassment laws in the workplace.
Current and former MPs said the Premier’s office regularly undermined and blurred the lines between the legislative and executive, with PPO staff coaching members of parliament on parliamentary committee tactics.
“The key message they want to get through is how to protect the government,” one said.
“I don’t think this is unique to the Labor Party.”
Daniel Andrews became such a dominant figure in Victoria during the pandemic his opponents dubbed him “Dictator Dan”.
A senior Labor figure joked the tag fitted given his controlling instincts and propensity to destroy internal threats.
One senior MP likened Andrews to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who recently had his predecessor, Hu Jintao, escorted out of the Communist Party Congress.
“Some of the MPs feel a bit like Hu Jintao,” they joked.
When the premier announced his decision to leave on Wednesday, he conceded he spent every waking hour doing work or thinking about the job that totally consumed him.
Andrews has always had trusted ministers in his inner circle – those who are on crucial cabinet subcommittees that “actually make all the decisions”.
But the circle diminished last term, with the departure of former special minister of state Gavin Jennings, former deputy premier James Merlino, and former police minister Neville.
Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan – the Premier’s pick to succeed him as leader – and Treasurer Tim Pallas continued to be the “two most important ministers”.
Insiders say the biggest change in the Premier’s power dynamic was when Jennings quit in 2020 – just before the pandemic started to rage.
“Ever since Gavin went, there’s no one who can control him,” one MP said.
Another said despite their special status, Jennings and Merlino went “in and out of the Premier’s deep freeze”, along with Pallas.
On Wednesday, Andrews gave a special mention to his trusty treasurer, who has been by his side for more than a decade.
The PPO’s control of event timing is notorious.
In early September last year, a report on the state’s triple-0 service was released, showing 33 people had died after delays to emergency call-taking.
The report was released on a Saturday morning, with Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes left to apologise on behalf of the state.
By Monday, Daniel Andrews still hadn’t appeared publicly.
Insiders said the PPO wouldn’t budge from its well-worn strategy of avoiding Monday’s dead airwaves, meaning he didn’t appear until Tuesday – and was accused of being in hiding.
“The way that the PPO works, Monday ratings are so low he never does that (press conferences),” one insider said.
“I think that there was a realisation that the strategy didn’t come off (for ESTA).”
In his defence, Andrews said he was at home on Saturday and Sunday, looking after a sick child.
“I don’t appear every single Sunday,” he said. “The government is not one person. The government is a team of ministers.”
When Merlino retired last year, Andrews was able to force through his plan for Allan to replace Merlino as deputy leader, while factions were on the back foot over alternatives.
When announcing his retirement, he was at pains not to back in Allan, saying a proper caucus process should take place.
Labor figures said if the premier were to meddle in that process, Allan’s chances of seizing the leadership could be hampered.
Inside the PPO, the two people who matter most are Ratcliff and her deputy, Jessie McCrone.
Ratcliff, who has been in the role since 2016, is described as a “Labor elite problem fixer”.
“It’s daylight between them and the rest of the PPO (advisers),” one minister said.
Both were at the premier’s retirement announcement, along with former director of media Sabina Husic and the head of caucus, stakeholders and parliament Ben Foster.
Husic recently shifted roles, but insiders said last year that: “Lissie knows everything; Jessie knows almost everything, and Sabina and Ben know quite a lot,” one said.
One described the Gang of Four had been effective because they didn’t harbour personal political aspirations but were “ambitious to deliver long-term Labor governments”.
Ratcliff is described as the second most powerful person in Victoria and “calm in a crisis”, with a memory rivalled only by her boss.
McCrone is more forthright, with allies saying she “drives a culture of accountability”.
Last year Federal Macnamara MP Josh Burns, who once worked in the PPO, says McCrone works “extremely hard for the cause”.
Those who have clashed with her say she is hardworking but can be “pretty brutal”.
One senior Labor figure said the PPO had acted like staff towards the end of the Brumby era, who felt they had more clout than senior party figures.
“These f---ers think you can f--- over a union and then hop off for a hot toddy down a laneway,” they said.
A Labor veteran said the senior members of the PPO were politically effective, like their boss.
“They have a commitment to politically savvy things; they do not have a commitment to good things,” they said.
Caucus matters were managed through a team in PPO led by Foster, who previously worked for federal heavyweights Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek.
Several MPs and ministers were critical of Foster, with one saying he was “halfway up the Premier’s arse”, but some insiders said his external work as “Daniel’s relationship man” was underrated.
Australian Hotels Association boss Paddy O’Sullivan said the senior members of the PPO – along with key ministers – were crucial for stakeholders wanting issues addressed.
“Lissie, Jessie and Ben in particular, I have had nothing but professional experiences, they are very thorough at following through on issues of importance,” he said.
Most MPs said centralisation of power around a leader is not unique to the ALP and was a symptom of risk-averse modern governments, but one veteran said “it’s not good for democracy”.
The outgoing boss of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, Robert Redlich, told a University of Melbourne lecture last year the model increased the risk of “soft corruption”.
“New risks arise through the potential reach of this swelling group of advisers that provide their leader with a greater capacity to influence those who are required to make a decision with little or no public transparency as to how it occurs,” Mr Redlich said.
Most MPs and staff say centralisation has grown into a different beast since the pandemic and that Andrews was “emboldened by his success”.
How the structure of the premier’s office changes — or does not — will depend on who is elected as his successor.
THE INNER SANCTUM
Dan Andrews
Victorian Premier since November 2014. Hailing from the Socialist Left faction of the ALP, Andrews has forged an unrivalled state political empire his opponents can’t scratch. Allies and enemies attribute his success to astute media management and an understanding of political momentum and the concerns of “middle” voters. “Dan is a one-man band,” said one MP. “He’s not a conviction left-winger but is extremely clever and has a memory like an elephant – that’s his greatest gift. He’s built an unbelievable power base in Victoria where everyone owes everyone a favour”.
Lissie Ratcliff
Daniel Andrews’ chief of staff since September 2016 and his most trusted confidante. Former staffer for Bracks and Brumby government minister Tim Holding. “A very fit-for-purpose, Labor elite problem-fixer,” said one observer. “She has become the second most powerful person in Victoria.” Seen as more powerful than government ministers — Partner of Equality Minister Harriet Shing.
Jessie McCrone
Andrews’ deputy chief of staff. A “super smart” and unrelenting communications specialist who controls the government’s social media machine and is a gatekeeper to departments and ministers. “They know how a story works and they know how to kill it,” said a colleague. Strong Labor links and partner of former ALP assistant state secretary Stephen Donnelly.
Jacinta Allan
Recently elevated to Deputy Premier and is Andrews’s choice as his successor when he calls time. Elected to parliament in 1999 when Steve Bracks toppled Jeff Kennett. Another Socialist Left MP, but not factionally active or universally popular in caucus. “A good communicator and parliamentary performer” who Andrews has entrusted with overseeing signature infrastructure projects.
Tim Pallas
Treasurer for eight years and critical to Andrews’s big-spending approach to government but not as close to the Premier as Allan. Described as an Andrews “yes man”, who established the West Gate Tunnel with Transurban and oversaw the sale of the Port of Melbourne. A key link to many Melbourne business leaders when Andrews took the party’s leadership.
DISCARDED BY DAN
Gavin Jennings
A Socialist Left kingmaker who smoothed the path for Andrews to become leader, and was his closest confidante for years. After repeated clashes over Andrews’ wilder instincts and policy direction, the Premier grew tired of the elder statesman. Sources say the final straw was Andrews taking precinct planning controls off Jennings and giving them to his personal choice as future premier, Jacinta Allan.
Adem Somyurek
A right-wing powerbroker who sparred with Andrews during factional brawls in the 1990s. Somyurek was part of Andrews’s initial 2014 Cabinet before being targeted over bullying allegations by a former chief of staff, and was reincarnated in 2018 and brought back to Cabinet by Andrews who described him as a “friend”. He was spectacularly brought down in 2020 by an internal sting relating to branch-stacking allegations, later running for the DLP and winning a seat in the upper house at the 2022 election.
Chris Eccles
Resigned as Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary in 2021, after providing misleading evidence to the Coate inquiry into the disastrous hotel quarantine scheme. Labor MPs say he was “thrown under the bus” by the premier during his submissions to the inquiry, which was looking at how Covid-19 leaked into the community from hotel quarantine and caused more than 800 deaths. Now lives on the NSW coast. Worked hand in glove with Andrews during his time in DPC.
Jenny Mikakos
Health Minister during the early months of the pandemic, but quit after the Coate inquiry into hotel quarantine in recognition her position was no longer tenable. Viewed by some as having been discarded by the Premier and his office after they sought to blame her for aspects of the Covid-19 response. Has kept a relatively low profile, with allies saying she was planning to head to Greece.
Jane Garrett
Died in July after a long cancer battle. Her promising career was torpedoed in 2016 when she clashed with the United Firefighters Union over a fire services workplace agreement, only to find the Premier side with UFU boss Peter Marshall over his emergency services minister. Resigned from Cabinet in 2016 and later shifted from the seat of Brunswick to the parliament’s upper house. Friends say the stress of political life took its toll on her health.
Fiona Richardson
Another cancer victim, Richardson died in 2017. A powerful right wing figure within the ALP, she was known for standing up to Andrews and supported Garrett during her battles with the UFU and Premier’s office. Was in the running to be deputy leader of the ALP following the resignation of Rob Hulls in 2012, a position eventually secured by James Merlino.
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