Daniel Andrews appointed chair of key youth mental health institute

A mental health institute has defended appointing former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews as its new chair after ex-Liberal leader and Beyond Blue founder Jeff Kennett called the move “absurd”.

Andrews, who stood down in September last year after almost a decade in office, will soon lead the board of Orygen, a clinical research organisation based in Parkville, in Melbourne’s inner north. His new position, announced on Friday morning, will be a fixed three-year term.

Daniel Andrews as premier in 2021 holding a press conference the day the mental health royal commission released its final report.Credit: Eddie Jim

The institute works with young people and their families to pioneer and advocate for new preventive treatments for mental health disorders.

During his premiership, Andrews established the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and also helped oversee the development of the biomedical precinct where Orygen is located. He also implemented some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world during the pandemic, which experts say have had lingering effects on young people’s mental health.

“I’m incredibly proud to take on this leadership role to help Orygen and its world-leading experts at this pivotal time for youth mental health in Australia and globally,” Andrews said in a statement.

“Orygen is one of Australia’s most important organisations, with a bold vision for all young people to enjoy the very best mental health as they grow into adulthood.

“It will be an honour to work closely with executive director Professor Patrick McGorry and help him realise that vision through Orygen’s groundbreaking research, knowledge translation, advocacy, workforce development and clinical care.”

But former Liberal premier and Beyond Blue founder Jeff Kennett criticised the move, arguing it was “the most absurd” appointment he had heard of in recent times.

“It is an abject disgrace to all of those who have suffered as a result of his gross mismanagement of the state,” Kennett said on Friday.

“I welcome former politicians who have been fortunate enough to hold high office doing more in the community, but this just doesn’t pass the pub test.”

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said young people would remember Andrews for school closures during the pandemic.

“To put Andrews in charge of Victoria’s lead mental health agency is a disgraceful political appointment, particularly now Labor have scrapped their promise to implement all recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System,” Kealy said.

The Age last week revealed the Allan government had quietly shelved a commitment to legislate eight regional mental health boards in the time frame set out by the royal commission. Labor says it remains committed to every recommendation set out in the final report, but critics say missed timelines represent broken promises.

Andrews did not conduct interviews on Friday.

McGorry, Orygen’s executive director, defended the appointment and said his organisation would always have a bipartisan approach to mental health reform.

“I think it’s unfortunate if people are going to try to politicise this appointment,” he said. “All political leaders have their enemies. But this is a post-politics phase.

“We’re dealing with a youth mental health crisis in Australia and around the world. Orygen’s been at the heart of reform, and we need strong leadership. I’m surprised that Mr Kennett responded in the way he did.”

McGorry, a psychiatrist and former Australian of the Year, also said states with fewer and less restrictive lockdowns than Victoria had recorded similar mental health impacts during the pandemic.

“Western Australia, for example, Queensland. The data shows the mental health impacts of the pandemic were very similar to what we had in Victoria,” he said.

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