I’ll be leader at the next election, says Daniel Andrews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he will lead Labor to the 2022 state election, amid debate within the party over who should succeed him.

Rachel BaxendaleVICTORIAN POLITICAL REPORTER

@rachelbaxendale

less than 2 min read

8:44PMAugust 23, 2020

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to press on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he will lead Labor to the 2022 state election, amid debate within the party over who should succeed him.

The Australian reported on Thursday that powerbrokers were openly discussing Mr Andrews’s future as his government faces scrutiny over hotel quarantine failures that lead to Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus.

Mr Andrews will have been Premier for six years in November, and Labor leader for a decade on December 3.

Asked on Sunday whether he would contest the next election, due in November 2022, as Premier, Mr Andrews said: “Yes, I will.”

“This honour, this job, is a great honour, it’s a great privilege, and it’s something I am 100 per cent committed to,” he said.

“There’s a lot more that needs to be built. There’s a lot more that needs to be done, and I’m honoured to lead a big team, and a team that’s all about getting the job done.”

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan has long been seen as a potential successor to Mr Andrews, but Attorney-General Jill Hennessy is increasingly seen as a compromise candidate, amid opposition from within sections of Labor’s Right and Socialist Left factions to Ms Allan getting the job. Both women hail from the Left.

Jobs, Trade, Tourism, Sport, Major Events and Industry Support Minister Martin Pakula is considered the most likely candidate from the Right, should Right-aligned factions opt to go with their own contender.

The most recent Newspoll, taken in mid-July, found 61 per cent of Victorians believed Mr Andrews was handling the coronavirus crisis well, down from 85 per cent in April.

The state opposition has been conducting its own leadership discussions, as Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien battles to gain traction amid the pandemic.