Steve Price: Our political leadership at an appalling new low

The truth behind some of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ Covid actions has been revealed but incredibly there are some who remain blind to his destructive political reign. What’s happened to integrity and decency among our leaders?

The quality of political leadership in this country has sunk appallingly low.

Incredibly, there are still people in the great state of Victoria who support Daniel Andrews.

Blind to his destructive political reign and the now revealed truth behind some of his Covid actions, there are amazingly still people who would vote for him today.

I can’t believe it, and that his apprentice Jacinta Allan herself would probably get re-elected if an election was held next weekend.

That’s what I find hard to believe.

Last Sunday, this newspaper revealed the Dan Andrews’ Covid curfew — locking up millions of people between 8pm and 5am — was not made on health advice as we mugs were led to believe but was a decision made by the Andrews Cabinet.

Surprised? No, neither am I.

Incredibly, there are still people in the great state of Victoria who support Daniel Andrews. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Then this week we learnt a law firm — Slater and Gordon — had paid a secret confidential out of court settlement of several hundreds of thousands of dollars to the family of a then teenage boy badly injured in a collision with Andrew’s and his wife Catherine’s car in Blairgowrie.

The law firm acted on behalf of Ryan Meuleman after the accident, and he says they did the wrong thing.

Surprised? No, neither am I.

A civil case of defamation will now be pursued by Ryan and his family against Daniel Andrews. Let’s wait and see where that lands.

The Andrews examples give us a case study into how appallingly low the quality of political leadership in this country has sunk.

A civil case of defamation will now be pursued by Ryan and his family against Daniel Andrews. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Covid killed nearly 8500 Victorians, mental health outcomes from Covid lockdowns and school closures are still being felt and the economy has never fully recovered. Was that all Andrews fault, clearly not, but has he said sorry and paid a personal price for his actions in 2020 and 2021. No, he hasn’t.

Am I surprised? No, I am not.

People accuse me of having some sort of personal vendetta against the former premier, which I don’t, I’ve never even met him, but his smug arrogance and belief that he knew better than even the most qualified medical experts is now finally being revealed.

Covid gave politicians like Andrews extraordinary powers and boy did they use those powers to lockdown states, make ridiculous rules like banning people drinking from straws and closing playgrounds.

The frightening thing Covid revealed was the quality of our political leaders on all sides of politics.

Covid gave politicians like Andrews extraordinary powers. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

We really do need to ask ourselves honest questions as a nation about what has happened to integrity and decency in politics, especially here in Victoria.

Where are the John Cain and Steve Bracks from old-school Labor or the Jeff Kennetts and Rupert Hamers from the Liberals.

My first interaction with a state premier was the legendary South Australian Don Dunstan. An openly bisexual man running a state in the 1970s while wearing pink shorts to parliament and decriminalising homosexuality in 1975.

That was radical even by today’s standards, but Dunstan put his state on the map with a passion and style that is sadly missing from any elected leader we now have except for one of his successors, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas.

I suspect if a poll was run asking Australians who they would prefer as PM either Malinauskas or NSW’s Chris Minns would be streets ahead — even with conservative voters.

The frightening thing Covid revealed was the quality of our political leaders on all sides of politics. Picture: Getty Images

Rather this, week we have a choice for PM on May 3 between a non-leader in Anthony Albanese who instead of growing into the job, has become impatient of criticism thinking only he knows best or Peter Dutton who has spent his political career playing the tough guy.

This pair are the latest in a long line of unimpressive national leaders from ALL sides.

The last coalition PM Scott Morrison always came across as a smug God-botherer from Sydney, who thought Australia started and finished south of Sydney airport in his Cook electorate.

His only redeeming feature for me was that he wasn’t Malcolm Turnbull. A pair of Sydney-centric salesmen (Morrison and Turnbull) personified to me what’s become a major problem for Australia and especially for Victorian Australians.

We, as a nation, and Victoria especially no longer produce national political figures of substance. I defy anyone to argue otherwise and give me a name.

We have a choice for PM between a non-leader in Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton who has spent his political career playing the tough guy. Picture: James Brickwood

Not since Bob Hawke won in 1983 have we had a genuine Victorian PM elected by the people with a thumping majority who could bring the nation together.

Yes, Hawke was born in SA and raised in WA, but his union and political career marked him as Victorian, and he held a Victorian seat.

I deliberately exclude Julia Gillard from this list because she was a temporary Victorian camping out in her electorate when she was installed – not elected – in her first stint as PM. She then failed to win in her own right relying on a gaggle of independents to form government.

Gillard delivered the first hung parliament since 1940 when she and Tony Abbott tied on 72 seats each — four short of a majority — and she went on to do a deal with four cross benchers including Greens leader Adam Bandt to form government.

Not since Bob Hawke won in 1983 have we had a genuine Victorian PM elected by the people with a thumping majority who could bring the nation together.

Bear that in mind when you hear Anthony Albanese rule out dealing with the Greens to govern after next Saturday’s election by the way.

So, I ask what’s wrong with Victorian politicians given the closest we got was when former Treasurer Peter Costello took the easy way out and quit the Sunday morning after John Howard lost to Kevin Rudd way back in 2007. Then more recently Josh Frydenberg lost his

seat of Kooyong to the lamentable Dr Monique Ryan robbing him of the chance to be the Dutton of this campaign.

This statistic is damning — since Hawke Australia has had six PMs from NSW, a hybrid SA/Vic in Gillard and a Queenslander twice in the form of Rudd.

Looking at both the major party’s front benches right now that’s not likely to change anytime soon.

How sad.

Likes

• Searoad ferries operating between Sorrento and Queenscliff always on time, clean bathrooms and great staff

•Paramount+ series Moblands with Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren in starring roles – outstanding

•Anzac Day services around Australia showing respect for all who have served

•Only a week to go before all those annoying political ads disappear off our TV screens.

Dislikes

• Polls showing Gen Z lack a connection to Anzac Day and would struggle to put their hands up to defend us

• Senior politicians including the PM claiming they have no influence on who gets their preferences on how to vote cards

• Crippling penalty rates forcing so many hospitality venues to stay shut on public holidays like Easter Monday

• Revealing claims Ambulance Victoria broke Covidregulations in 2021 allowing up to 40 people to attend a funeral when the rule was for just ten

Originally published as Steve Price: Our political leadership at an appalling new low