Daniel Andrews resigns after eight years as Premier

Jeff Kennett says crumbling country roads are Daniel Andrews’ leading regional legacy, and he says Jacinta Allan was part of the pothole problem.

Crumbling country roads are the lasting legacy Daniel Andrews leaves regional Victoria, Jeff Kennett says.

The former Liberal leader has been a long-time critic of Mr Andrews since Labor’s victory at the 2014 election, but was magnanimous on the day of his departure from the premier’s office.

While Mr Kennett wished the Andrews family well, he said the outgoing premier had neglected regional infrastructure in favour of suburban development.

He told The Weekly Times that rural councils were often overlooked during the nearly nine years that Mr Andrews served as premier.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett grabs current premier Daniel Andrews (L) after the State Funeral Service for Ronald Walker at St Paul's Cathedral on February 7, 2018 in Melbourne. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

“In rural Victoria, it’s not just about access to health care, it’s about more basic things like the condition of the roads, which are deteriorating everywhere,” Mr Kennett said.

“Fixing roads en masse cannot be addressed overnight unless we borrow more money but Victoria doesn’t have the capacity to borrow more money.

“I can understand on a personal level, why (Mr Andrews) called it quits. It’s a tough gig.

“But he leaves a poor legacy in terms of financial management.”

Mr Kennett said his successor as premier, Jacinta Allan, had a poor track record both in delivering regional rail and road projects.

“Jacinta is the sole minister responsible for the inept delivery of our infrastructure projects,” the former premier said.

“Those projects are not only running over time, but over budget and have contributed to our debt.”

Meanwhile, federal National Party leader David Littleproud claimed the Andrews government was “not interested” in agriculture, and its covid mandates triggered worker shortages that continue to hamper the industry.

Mr Littleproud was the agriculture minister in the Turnbull government from 2017 to 2019 and then in the Morrison ministry from May 2019 to May 2022.

He said during that time “Victoria did not really contribute much, or anything, in terms of agricultural policy”, at a national level.

“I have got to say there was a lack of interest, and basically they provided no real input or enthusiasm to drive agriculture in Victoria, or to contribute to growing the industry nationally,” he said.

“They have had a succession of ministers where really it was used as a stepping stone rather than a portfolio that they had a passionate interest in.”

TUESDAY

Victoria’s longest-serving Labor premier, Daniel Andrews, resigned as the state’s leader — ending a record-breaking reign on Spring St.

The 51-year-old Labor leader called a snap press conference on Tuesday afternoon to announce he was stepping down after more than eight years as Victoria’s leader.

“To have been premier for nine years and the leader of my party for 13 years is a greater set of opportunities than I ever thought would be afforded to me,” Mr Andrews said.

“A kid from the country with only really an aspiration to do good, to work hard, to work with teams of people that perhaps make things better.”

Originally from Williamstown, Mr Andrews relocated to Wangaratta in his teenage years where his parents, Bob and Jan, ran a beef farm. After graduating from Galen Catholic College, he studied arts at Monash University.

Aged 30, the ex-staffer was elected as Labor MP for Mulgrave at the 2002 state election.

He served in several ministerial roles in the Bracks and Brumby cabinets before taking on the Labor leadership following Ted Baillieu’s 2010 election victory.

Mr Andrews will visit Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner to make his resignation official on Tuesday evening.

Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan is likely to succeed Mr Andrews as premier.

Ms Allan has served as deputy premier since June 2022 and was first elected to the Victorian Parliament at the 1999 state election.

A possible challenger is Niddrie MP Ben Carroll, although the next Labor leader may take the reins without a contested ballot.

“I have always known that the moment (that contemplating retirement) happens, it is time to give this privilege, this amazing responsibility, to someone else,” Mr Andrews said.

Mr Andrews recently passed Liberal luminary Rupert Hamer, who served from 1972 to 1981, to become Victoria’s fourth-longest serving premier.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Mr Andrews in the minutes following the snap announcement.

“You can measure Dan’s time as Premier not just in years but in achievements,” the Prime Minister said.

“Dan’s leadership was tested by some of the toughest times. In the relentless pressure of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, Dan never shirked the hard decisions.

National Farmers Federation vice president David Jochinke said the good Mr Andrews did will be overshadowed by numerous “missed opportunities” to improve the lives of regional Victorians

“He did some good, particularly in the city, and was good with the media and in front of the camera, but actions speak louder,” he said.

Mr Jochinke isolated the Andrews government’s recent firm stand on Murray Darling Basin water rights in the face of federal buybacks as a case of “credit where it is due” and regional partnerships initiatives bringing some benefits to the regions “when used properly.”

However, he said the parlous condition of regional roads, the continuing housing crisis, and a “broken promise” to increase and repair rail infrastructure in the regions will “last in the memory of the agriculture community for a very long time.”

He also said the restructure of the Country Fire Authority and management of forests were also “sore spots” needing to be undone.