By Sahar Foladi
The Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews has handed in his shock resignation after 9 years at the realm.
Effective 5pm tomorrow, he will step down as the Victorian Premier.
The Labor Party will meet at midday Wednesday 27 September but the Premier says he will not “speculate” on who may be his successor.
“That’ll be determined by the colleagues and I’m deeply respectful of that process.”
The Premier said he’s proud of his legacy and grateful to his colleagues despite the harsh criticism.
“It’s not the best feature of modern politics, but it’s there and doesn’t bother me.”
He said it’s not about him but rather the work he’d set out to achieve.
“People can say whatever they want about me, good and bad, it’s always been about the work.
“There’s a body of work and I’m proud of that and now it’s for somebody else to continue that work.”
He suggested plans to stay in Victoria after his premiership and lead a private life of a citizen.
“I think it’s highly unlikely I’ll spent time in the public sector.”
“Catch up on a few things and we’ll see what the next chapter holds.”
However, he said he’ll continue to be like any other “helpful citizen” into the covid-19 inquiry and others as a “cooperative person.”
Before last year’s election, Mr Andrews stated he’d serve out his term.
“It was true then and I’ve changed my mind,” he said.
“Doing this job requires a lot of hard work, that’s not a complaint, it’s just the nature of it.
“If you’re going to do it, do it properly, do it to the best of your ability.”
Despite the “support” of his family, they’re “pleased” with the decision as he plans to take some time off for the family and “play a bit of golf.”
Mr Andrews served as the 48th Premier of Victoria since December 2014 and also served as the State MP of Mulgrave.
Senior Lecturer in Politics, School of Social Sciences at Monash University, Dr Zareh Ghazarian describes the Premier’s decision to step down as a “circuit breaker in the state.”
“With Andrews out of the way, the Liberal Party has a clear opportunity to reposition itself as an effective political force and reconnect with those who may have abandoned during the Andrews premiership.”
The Andrews government weren’t without controversies and with the covid-19 lockdowns, one of the lengthiest in the world, had created another blow to the leadership style as it faced a lot of criticism.
According to Dr Ghazarian, the next in line will face a major challenge to keep the screw tight.
“Attracting voters who were not fond of the Andrews leadership style, as well as rejuvenating a party that is nearing 10 years in government, will be major challenges for whoever becomes Victoria’s next Premier.”
Despite all the controversies, criticism and numerous investigations and allegations affecting integrity of his government, Dr Ghazarian describes him as the “most successful” and an “untouchable giant in Victorian politics.”
Dr Ghazarian is co-author of Australian Politics for Dummies and his latest book is ‘The Making of a Party System: Minor Parties in the Australian Senate.’
Dr Ghazarian’s teachings and research includes political parties, public policy, political knowledge, politics and the media and political leadership.
