Premier sells ‘fresh’ team to voters

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews wasted no time in moving into election mode after thanking his outgoing ministers.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan, his captain’s pick as new deputy premier. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

Daniel Andrews thanked his outgoing ministers and quickly flicked the switch to election mode, sending Victorians a clear message as to why they should vote Labor in November.

The Premier said the loss of experience, including deputy premier James Merlino, would give Labor a chance to bring on “fresh legs” and “rejuvenate” as new ministers were drawn from the “great depth” of talent in caucus.

With an appropriate amount of praise showered on his colleagues on Friday, Andrews grabbed the chance to press his case for a third term at the November 26 election, even road testing some campaign slogans.

Voters, he said, would have the choice between the “cuts and closures” that a Liberal government would impose, or Labor’s “positive and optimistic” plan.

And to cap off the Premier’s rejuvenation strategy, his captain’s pick as Labor’s new deputy premier, Jacinta Allan, was at the press conference and invited to speak.

We had to, of course, endure the charade of Andrews and Allan noting solemnly that it was up to caucus to formally elect her, and the other ministers, when it meets on Saturday.

Andrews spoke about his “leadership team” on Friday, but make no mistake that is a very small team. In fact, there is only one person on the team, and that’s him. This is not to say that Allan, currently minister for high-vis and hard hats, does not deserve the deputy premiership, it just illustrates that Andrews’ rule is supreme. He gets what he wants.

Allan brings almost two decades of ministerial experience to the role, having been elected in 1999 in the electorate of Bendigo East in the regional revolution that swept Liberal leader Jeff Kennett from office, robbing him of a third term.

By 2002, before she had turned 30, Allan was appointed minister for youth affairs by then premier Steve Bracks.

Much of her ministerial life has been in roads and rail as transport minister or minister for major projects, and delivering this Big Build strategy on budget and on time was always going to be an impossible challenge, but it is worth noting the delays and blowouts are mounting.

Andrews is a keen political historian and desperately wants a third term, a victory that will elevate him alongside Bracks (99, 02 and 06). In little more than 150 days, Victorians must decide whether Andrews has earned this right.