Andrews resists call to return from holidays

Daniel Andrews is ‘‘missing in action’’ on the issue of Melbourne’s gang violence and resisting calls to return from holidays.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has chosen to remain on holiday. Picture: AFP

Premier Daniel Andrews is resisting calls to return from holidays to deal with a Melbourne street gang crisis and is unlikely to be back at his desk until next weekend.

Deputy Premier James Merlino will be Acting Premier for most of the week as the state continues to battle the fallout of an emerging street gangs crisis and the peak summer fire season.

The Premier is expected to ­return to office toward the end of the week for a short stint, before leaving again during the week of January 15 to fly out to India on ­official business.

He will return to office in time for Bourke Street attack memorial functions which will take place from January 20, with the main events occurring on January 23.

A number of Labor MPs have quietly expressed frustration over the Premier’s continuing absence at the start of an election year, ­arguing that voters need reassurance from the Premier that crime is being taken seriously.

Coalition leader Matthew Guy accused Mr Andrews of being “missing in action”.

“He’s been missing in action and he appears to be missing in ­action for the next fortnight. And the state is needing leadership,” Mr Guy said. “The government is avoiding the issue.”

Melbourne has been rocked in the past month by a string of violent gang-related incidents, the most recent of which occurred last Thursday night when a group of teen thugs carried out violent home invasions on two homes and two brutal street attacks.

Mr Guy called on Mr Andrews to recall parliament so that a second tranche of bail reforms could be voted on and implemented quickly, while also pushing a ­Coalition plan that proposes to crack down on law and order with mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders and tougher treatment of youth offenders.

“It’s now time to recall parliament, change our bail laws, strengthen them and to bring in mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders,” Mr Guy said.

“I don’t care if they’re African, I don’t care what their ethnicity is if its Australian, Scottish, Italian, Ukrainian it doesn’t matter.

“What matters is that our justice system needs fixing, our bail is broken in Victorian.”