‘Gaslighting’: Protesters call for former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews to be removed from new role as his salary is revealed
Protesters have called for the former Victorian premier to be removed from his new role as his salary is revealed.
Protesters are calling for former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews to be sacked from his new gig at Orygen Youth Health after his salary was revealed.
Mr Andrews was last week announced as the new chairman at Orygen, a clinical research organisation with a focus on youth mental health.
The former premier, who led Victoria between 2014 and 2023, said he was “incredibly proud” to take on the role.
“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,” Mr Andrews said.
“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.”
However, protesters have descended on Orygen’s Parkville office in Melbourne’s inner-city on Friday, demanding Mr Andrews be removed from the organisation.
The small group held a sign reading: “Justice for the people”.
Mr Andrews will reportedly be paid a yearly salary of $75,000, which will total to $225,000 following the end of his three year term with Orygen, according to the Herald Sun.
This is in addition to his parliamentary pension, which is reportedly as high as $300,000 according to 9NEWS.
A “peaceful protest” has been slated for Friday, with protesters from online group Let Them Be Kidz claiming Mr Andrews and Orygen are “gaslighting the most vulnerable”.
“Orygen and the ex-premier are gaslighting the most vulnerable people in our state,” a flyer from the group reads.
“It’s unbelievable, make a stand with us to reverse this.”
The group’s website states they are “dedicated to informing parents of the immoral and depraved agenda”.
“The sexualised indoctrination of your children and grandchildren, is an attack on their innocence and also an attack on the moral fabric of our society,” the website states.
“Unbelievably, Governments and politicians enable and encourage this attack on innocence,” it also claimed.
An Orygen spokesperson expressed disappointment over the action, with some staff reportedly told to work from home on Friday to avoid the protest.
“We are disappointed to learn of plans to disrupt our important work in youth mental health care and research,” the spokesperson said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have put in place additional measures to protect the safety and wellbeing of the young people and families we care for, as well as our staff.
“The small group planning the disruption is well known for regularly protesting against diversity and inclusion, which is in opposition to our values.
“We would encourage anyone planning to participate to consider the impact on the young people who rely on our services for mental health support.
An Orygen spokesperson also told the Herald Sun Mr Andrews’ salary is the same as the organisation’s former chair, Sir Edward Byrne.
“The role of the chair encompasses a wide range of leadership responsibilities that sit outside of these meetings and events which are important in ensuring that the Orygen board fulfils its duties to effectively operate a leading medical research institute and youth mental health service,” the spokesperson said.
The masthead was also told the former premier and his family “support many charitable causes and will continue to do so” when asked whether he would be donating his salary to charity.
The protest was slated to kick off at 12pm Friday.
Surprise surge in Aussie cash use
Amid rampant bank branch and ATM closures, new figures have revealed a surprising turn in the use of cash across Australia.
Big captaincy move in Australian cricket
A gun Aussie all-rounder is set to fill arguably the biggest captaincy shoes in cricket which could be a signal of things to come.