Meanwhile, in Victoria: Daniel Andrews reads The Oz, AFL drugs leak

Premier Daniel Andrews reads The Oz, when footballers get on the gear, and two ambos attacked in Melbourne.

Daniel Andrews: “I’d already read it in The Oz.” Picture: Mitch Bear

Daniel Andrews, like all sensible people, reads The Australian.

We know this because the Victorian Premier revealed today that’s how Malcolm Turnbull communicates with the states.

At least on his plan/idea/thought bubble of handing some income taxing powers to the states.

Andrews made clear his disdain for the process when he rejected the Prime Minister’s claim that the federal government had raised the income tax plan with him or his officials before the proposal was reported in The Australian.

“He hasn’t been speaking to me; he spoke to me on Wednesday morning after I’d already read it in The Oz,” Andrews told the ABC.

While the PM’s media strategy is eminently sensible, it must be said that the states and Canberra probably need to find a way to communicate with the provinces.

But it’s not all Canberra’s fault.

The last Victorian premiers to have any meaningful role in the national reform agenda were Labor’s John Brumby and Steve Bracks; indeed, the pair of them risked an electoral backlash at times by pursuing the big picture, occasionally at the expense of popular politics.

Liberal Premiers Ted Baillieu and Denis Napthine were nowhere on the issue and Andrews has followed in their footsteps.

Which makes it a bit rich for him to complain about consultation when he has missed the opportunity to prosecute his own agenda.

The strongest periods of government in Victoria in the past 25 years were the Kennett years, followed by Bracks and Brumby. Andrews has potential but he is still finding his feet.

Jeff Kennett understood well the need for a meaningful national debate and his contributions were often embraced in strange places. Like from Paul Keating, who respected Kennett’s style, while not always agreeing with the politics.

The advantage of nationally engaged premiers is that, almost always, the Canberra money tends to flow towards the squeaky but well-informed governing wheel.

That said, it’s hard not to have some sympathy for Andrews as he tries to nut out the Turnbull tax carve-up, which is potential political poison for both levels of government but most obviously the Prime Minister, who is facing a general election.

A pre COAG tax bomb is hardly the way to encourage an agreement.

WHEN FOOTBALLERS GET ON THE GEAR

AFL chief executive Gill McLachlan is still trying to hose down outrage in Melbourne’s football mad quarters to news players have tested positive to illicit drugs during the off-season.

Still insisting there was no breach in confidentiality last week when it was reported that up to 11 Collingwood players were found in breach of the strict drugs policy, the football supremo tried to allay fears of a serial leaker in AFL headquarters by revealing management were also subject to drug testing.

“I’ve been drug tested,” McLachlan said.

“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

“No (positives) as far as I know, but we would be covered by the same secrecy.”

Maybe McLachlan was trying to assure nervous players that the honchos in headquarters would never leak because they have as much to lose.

While it’s hard for those outside of Victoria to imagine why anyone would care what players put in their bodies outside of the season, the revelation caused a huge stir in the footy world mainly because the results are meant to be kept secret.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley was furious, calling it a betrayal of his players, while Eddie McGuire declared the leak as an attempt to destroy the club.

And it has led to concerns that players will walk away from the voluntary illicit drugs policy.

It has since been revealed that the number of Collingwood players that tested positive is fewer than 11, McLachlan blamed the Melbourne football media for rushing into the story with inaccurate figures.

But asked if he thought there was a problem with illicit drug use among players, he responded with: “Do some of our players take drugs in the off-season? Yes.”

AMBOS ATTACKED IN MELBOURNE

During a long and bitter pay battle with the Victorian government, which they won, paramedics repeatedly warned of the dangers of their job.

They were right. Two ambulance officers were attacked in suburban Melbourne last night while helping a patient.

One of them, a man, suffered a suspected broken foot, cuts and bruises after he was kicked, punched and knocked to the ground while his female colleague was hit in the back of the head as she came to his aid.

The attackers got into a car and drove into the ambulance before speeding off.

Acting general manager emergency operations Mick Stephenson described the attack as “disgusting”.

“This is a gutless attack on paramedics as they were in the community going to the aid of a patient,” Mr Stephenson said in a statement.

“We do not tolerate violence, threats or abuse towards our paramedics and will support our paramedics and police in bringing action against those involved.”