Credit: Andrew Dyson
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Unlike so many other politicians in recent memory, Daniel Andrews is going out on his own terms. These nine years in the job, and especially the last three years under the cloud of COVID-19, will have taken a terrible toll on him and his family. Every Victorian owes him a massive debt of thanks. The man deserves every accolade he will no doubt receive.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
There is another premier who worked harder
Your correspondent challenges us to name a premier who’s worked as hard as Dan Andrews (Letters, 27/9). Liberal premier Rupert Hamer was in office for nine years and won three elections, the same as Andrews. Hamer’s progressive government abolished the death penalty, decriminalised abortion and homosexuality, and gave Aboriginal communities control of their land. He established the Environment Protection Agency, built the Arts Centre and oversaw a drastic extension of Melbourne’s tram network. Unlike Andrews, the universally respected Hamer left office without leaving Victoria with massive debt and without multiple unresolved corruption investigations hanging over his government. Nobody worked as hard for Victoria as Hamer, and he did it with a level of integrity and honesty that Dan Andrews could only dream about.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
Andrews made time for my students
I remember leading a bevvy of chattering schoolgirls through the broad corridors at the back of Parliament House. As we turned a corner, a grim-faced, hunched man came striding towards us, looking like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. None of us recognised him. But as he drew close, his face lifted, he stopped and beamed at my students. After introducing himself, he proceeded to laugh and joke, ask and answer questions, as though he had all the time in the world.
Patrice McCarthy, West Bendigo
Andrews legacy is massive debt
Daniel Andrews’ resignation is disappointing. I had hoped that he would remain in office and take responsibility for Victoria’s massive debt that he created, and work tirelessly to fix up the fiscal mess. His legacy, l suspect, will be at least a decade and maybe much longer of protracted state indebtedness.
Dennis Walker, North Melbourne
Media were unfair to the former premier
Daniel Andrews has gone and many journalists are dancing on his political grave. Recent elections have shown high majority approval from voters for the Labor government led by Andrews. Despite this, the media has waged a relentless negative crusade against him, providing an unquestioning platform (and sensational headlines) for his detractors. Andrews is not infallible (nor are journalists), but his many achievements are overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately, this ugly campaign is starving state Labor of oxygen, so the time is right for him to stand down. However, media behaviour such as this could be seen as a threat to democracy.
Peter Robinson, Kilsyth
Andrews left us a disastrous tollway
Those concerned with the increasing damage to our environment, particularly in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, will welcome Daniel Andrews’ resignation. The bulldozing of the North East Link tollway through our suburbs, parkland and open space will be his lasting legacy. This disastrous road will not solve traffic problems.
John Young, Blackburn North
FORUM
Respect for Andrews
Throughout the pandemic, I, like many others in this state, felt the repercussions of some aspects of Daniel Andrews’ decisions. But like many older Victorians, I respected his leadership and the way he and the other premiers guided this country through that time. While it is true that a large number of people died in Victorian aged care facilities during the pandemic, my condemnation for that tragedy is not for Andrews but for the federal government of the time. In my view, that government should not be forgiven for its neglect of what was then and still is the responsibility it owed to the aged. Quite apart from those turbulent three years, for his initiatives in social policy and infrastructure development during his premiership, my thanks go to Daniel Andrews for the way he led his government in working for this state. I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do next in his life.
Pamela Bores, Eltham North
Time for a reset
With the change of leadership, the state government has the opportunity to reset. Among other things, it should encourage all ministers to have more independent management of their portfolios, and to encourage and accept frank and fearless policy and administrative advice from their departments. The state treasury should thoroughly and independently review the business cases of all existing and prospective major projects, and the projects should only proceed if they have sound benefit-cost ratios and carefully projected expenditures. The Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission should be given equivalent scope in its investigations as its NSW counterpart, and its recommendations should be respected and acted upon. The new leader should thoroughly review the Labor Party’s structures and processes to ensure that branch stacking never occurs again. Such changes would enable better governance, oversight and decision-making.
Andrew Trembath, Blackburn
Tough decisions
Any inquiry into Australia’s response to COVID and how to prepare for future pandemics must include an analysis of the impacts of the states’ different approaches to shutdowns, border closures etc. However, it must be remembered that premiers were facing the thought that they could be saying to those affected, “I am sorry your family is struggling because you lost your job” or “I am sorry your children are suffering mentally because we have closed their school”, as opposed to “I am to sorry you have lost your loved one through COVID”. They were decisions no one would want to have to take, especially when there were so many unknowns around the situation. If this necessary examination disintegrates into political point-scoring it would be a waste of time. With the current state of political debate, I would not be confident in the outcome.
Howard Tankey, Box Hill North
Political courage
Like Malcolm Fraser’s granddaughter Samantha Marshall (Comment, 27/9) I also like to think he would have supported the Voice to parliament. Many years ago, when political meetings in town halls were open to all and not just the party faithful, Fraser fronted a meeting at the Brunswick town hall. I believe he was minister for education and science at the time. The principal of what was Brunswick Girls High School gave an impassioned speech from the floor about the disadvantage her girls were suffering. The chair tried to silence her but the audience would have none of it. What was Fraser’s response? The next day he visited the school to see for himself what the issues were. Fraser did many things that I could not support, but this showed political courage often lacking today. And a willingness to find the truth.
Jan Thomas, Parkville
Sensible responses
If you don’t know, find out. If you don’t know, give ’em a go. Malcolm Fraser’s sensible responses to the Voice referendum, as imagined by his granddaughter.
Peter Moore, Clifton Hill
A case for No
Those of us who intend to vote No in the forthcoming referendum may indeed be as ignorant as the professors, lawyers and other high-priced proponents of the Voice assert. Most of us, however, are smart enough to realise that in order to eliminate racial discrimination it is necessary to cease discriminating on the grounds of race.
Albert Riley, Mornington
The other gap
Closing the gap is not just a one-way street. Non-Indigenous people are on the whole miles away from where we should be in terms of our knowledge of our own environment, and how to live within it sustainably. The knowledge, care and understanding of our natural systems have been passed down through generations of Indigenous people for millennia, while we have treated this land like a slave and are now suffering the consequences, including soil erosion and salinity, loss of topsoil, degradation of wetlands and waterways, and loss of species and biodiveristy. This is now being magnified by climate change and over-population. We need to close the gap with Indigenous people if we are to survive and thrive into the future.
Jennie Epstein, Little River
Building connections
In the midst of the problems in the Victorian Building Authority, I would like to acknowledge the professional work of some staff. After the death of an elderly relative, I was trying to track the paperwork for various building modifications prior to sale of the property. After many frustrating phone calls, I eventually made contact with a helpful and understanding person at the VBA who was able to identify the plumber who had undertaken the work in a regional area of Victoria.
April Baragwanath, Geelong
Old towers should go
Many correspondents have been criticising the demolition of the housing commission buildings. But I wonder how many of these critics have actually been in an old housing commission flat, or would consider living in one. To want to replace outdated infrastructure with energy-efficient, well-designed apartments, where the plumbing and lifts work properly, and with an emphasis on community needs, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Carolyn Cliff, Armadale
No to the compliments
Christopher Bantick asks, “Can you compliment a woman any more?” (Comment, 27/9). Short answer is, no, you may not. He answers his own question with the notion of himself as a random unknown male wanting to give passing women an unsolicited compliment on their appearance. Women dress to please themselves. Receiving an unsolicited appraisal on how they look is tiresome and, as he intuits, a “kind of harassment”. As a youngster, how would he have felt getting commentary on his outfit from a grey-bearded gent?
Eli Kinnersly, Docklands
It was never OK
Christopher Bantick writes that there was a time when he used to feel comfortable giving an “entirely innocent” compliment to a woman on the street, but that if he were to give a similar compliment to a woman now, chances are it’d be seen as “a bit creepy”. I’ll give you the tip: it was always creepy and more than just a bit. The fact that people are now more empowered to call it out is the only – and very welcome – difference. Just stop.
David Whitely, Yarraville
Goodbye home dream
The growing proportion of home owners aged 55 to 64 who have mortgage debt (“More than half retirees, older workers have mortgage debt”, Money, 27/9) surely makes the outlook for younger Australians aspiring to purchase their own home even more problematic than is currently realised.
The “bank of mum and dad”, which has made the crucial difference for so many in achieving home ownership, is reaching the point of hanging by an inexorably fraying thread.
Ruth Farr, Blackburn South
Right teacher essential
There is, has been and always will be an enormous range of teacher quality in virtually every school, ranging from outstanding to bad. The supposed experts who propose classes being taught by the same teacher over a period of years are naive in the extreme and do a disservice to educational need and common sense. Astute judgment by leadership is essential in matching student to teacher, and given the dearth of high-quality staff in most schools, it is essential that the highly skilled teacher be thoughtfully placed with students that are in need of exceptional teaching. Importantly, this must apply equally to the high-achieving student group as it does to the underachieving cohort.
Geoff Warren, Anglesea
Life in the fast lane
As a life-long fast walker I have no problem with slow walkers dawdling and living in the moment (“I used to be a fast walker – then came my toddler”, Comment, 27/9). Good for them! Can I just ask that they keep left while they do it so the rest of us can get past?
Gregory Hill, Brunswick
Days to celebrate
Kester Baines (Letters, 27/9), let the kids have fun on Halloween. After all, we adults celebrate the running of a horse race, the loss of a battle, the day before a footy match and the birth of a foreign king.
Michael Carroll, Kensington
Football trivia
By coincidence, when Brisbane last played Collingwood in an AFL grand final in 2003, they had a player named Black (Simon) and a player named White (Darryl) in their team. But I hope that the result of that match, which Brisbane won, will be reversed on Saturday!
David Ginsbourg, East Bentleigh
AND ANOTHER THING
Daniel Andrews leaving parliament on his final day as premier.Credit: Joe Armao
Daniel Andrews
Good onya, Dan. You took the big, hard decisions in the pandemic. Some were wrong, but thousands of Victorians are alive today because of you.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
At last, a good decision by Dan Andrews.
Peter Venn, East Bentleigh
Thank you, Dan. I will never forget how you brought the people with you during the COVID-19 pandemic. A terribly hard thing to do.
Mary Keating, Flemington
Andrews’ legacy – a new number-plate slogan for the next printing. Victoria: The Rust Bucket Bankrupt State.
Tim Nolan, Brighton
How are the Dan haters going to maintain the rage now?
Sue Peterken, Berwick
Thank you to Dan Andrews for stepping up and looking after Victoria during COVID-19. My family personally benefited from your leadership.
Robyn Stonehouse, Camberwell
It’s the first time the premiership’s over before a grand final.
Steve Haylock, Mount Waverley
Another great achievement for Dan Andrews: taking the grand final and Michael Pezzullo off the front page.
Campbell Paine, Toorak
Furthermore
Just as well Dan resigned this week, and not next, because if Collingwood win on Saturday, with the mandatory media blackout of at least a week at my place, I wouldn’t have known about it.
John Rawson, Mernda
Too late to educate yourself about the patriarchy, Christopher Bantick (Comment, 27/9)? Keep your views on a woman’s choice of clothing to yourself.
Angela Killingsworth, Abbotsford
Instead of multiple levels of Sudoko puzzles in the digital version of The Age, how about at least one version of KenKen please?
Cynthia Pollak, Elsternwick
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