Victorians won’t forget Dan Andrews’ Covid lockdown record

Victorians won’t forget Dan Andrews’ Covid lockdown record

New Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan should follow recently appointed Qantas chief Vanessa Hudson’s example and apologise to all Victorians for the Andrews government’s many scandals and disasters. Sadly, she seems to be doing the exact opposite by insisting the state’s integrity structures have been strengthened. Whatever the claim, Andrews shamelessly under-resourced and undermined the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the auditor-general and ombudsman offices.

Kevin Burke, Sandringham, Vic

Kim Keogh makes the point that “it is almost as if the state (Victoria) is separate from the rest of the country”, as well as highlighting the irresponsible debt created by Dan Andrews (Letters, 26/9). I am starkly reminded of Mark McGowan’s departure and feeling exactly the same thing during Covid-19. The major difference, however, is that WA had the mining industry to fall back on and avoided the debt trap. It seems in politics the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Ron Marlborough, Attadale, WA

Glen Marchant and other correspondents (Letters, 28/9) seem to suggest Daniel Andrews somehow hoodwinked Victorian voters into electing the Labor government in three successive elections. Perhaps a better explanation is that the dysfunctional Liberal opposition offered nothing but negativity and tired worn-out conservative policies that would have seen Victoria fall behind in infrastructure and environmental projects. The voters knew better than electing a “do nothing and leave it to big business” government. Andrews may not have been everyone’s favourite politician but his hard work and vision cannot be denied.

Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West, Vic

The headline in The Australian on Wednesday was one of the best I’ve ever seen (“Dan cult over, bill left behind”, 27/9).

Robyn Manoy, Darling Point, NSW

Peta Credlin notes Dan Andrews’ legacy of record debt, increased taxes, a housing crisis, a struggling small-business sector, the world’s longest Covid lockdowns, post-Covid mental illness and frightening levels of youth delinquency (“No escaping Dan’s brutal reign of madness”, 28/9). But she does not mention that Victoria is having great success in its net-zero emissions ambitions, having brought its target of 2050 down to 2045. Victorians can’t have it all!

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Remote communities

Caroline Graham and Kylie Stevenson raise important and valid issues in their revealing report on the Homeland Learning Centres of the NT (“NT schools run by remote control from Darwin’s ‘Carpetland’ ”, 28/9). But one critical factor they overlook is the instability of the communities in which they are located. The populations of most of those “homelands” (or “outstations”) are not stable communities, but tend to fluctuate, with constant movement of people, in and out, for many reasons. This not only disrupts children’s education, but also makes the provision of infrastructure extremely challenging and expensive, especially when there is no local expertise to install and maintain buildings, power supplies, water systems, roads and the like. It’s not surprising the well-paid administrators are reluctant to leave their Darwin offices.

Paul Prociv, Mt Mellum, Qld

Reforming ways

When will the public voices that claim knowledge about all matters ever suggest two obvious areas for saving money and improving outcomes: the public service, both state and federal, and the issue of accountability more broadly. Danielle Wood proposes the usual answers built around new and increased taxes to cope with the public sector overspend, but nowhere does she suggest that the public service bureaucracy itself be put under the microscope (“True reform needs solutions, not more armchair critics”, 28/9). Most of us are aware of bloated bureaucracy and the multiplicity of overlapping systems. This leads to enormous waste of public moneys. As for accountability, consider the Andrews government’s $1bn entry and $380m exit from the Commonwealth Games. Consider too the $35bn a year of direct government expenditure on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians, where no accountability seems to exist. Wood probably has some ideas worth exploring, but staring us right in the face are two avenues for almost immediate and substantial savings.

Jim Macdonald, Albany Creek, Qld

Danielle Wood poses the problem of our politicians’ inability to make difficult and unpopular decisions but fails to propose a solution. One suggestion would be to eliminate the “professional politicians”, who necessarily must strive to be re-elected, and establish single six- or eight-year terms with half elected every three or four years.

Chris Muir, Kelvin Grove, Qld