VICTORIA Premier Daniel Andrews told the enquiry into the hotel fiasco that he did not know who was responsible for the disastrous decision to hire a security firm to monitor the quarantine of overseas arrivals.
Not only did Andrews dodge accountability, but for good measure he threw Health Minister Jenny Mikakos under a bus by shifting blame to her, causing her sacrificial resignation.
The memory loss ploy to circumnavigate accountability by former WA Labor Premiers Brian Burke and Dr Carmen Lawrence, in the 1990s was comparatively crude and unsophisticated, as it did not seek to deny that censurable acts had occurred, leaving an aftertaste of denied impropriety.
DODGED
Andrews’ “I don’t know” defence is brilliant in its simplicity as it removes any implied concession of guilt.
On the other hand Queensland Premier Palaszczuk dodged accountability by delegating all power to her underling, the Chief Health Officer, when she parried accusations of grossly insensitive management of border closures.
Premier Andrews has so far resisted calls to resign, conveniently overlooking that the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria was solely due to his government’s bungling of hotel quarantine, boasting his incompetence with the misleading words, “I get things done”.
In contrast, Liberal NSW Premiers Nick Greiner and Barry O’Farrell voluntarily fell on the sword of accountability when they mislead ICAC, the former after being accused of being corrupt, the latter over a memory lapse over a gifted bottle of wine.
Both were subsequently exonerated, the former on appeal, the latter by ICAC itself.
If Andrews survives as leader of Victoria on the basis that the Premier can exercise dictatorial power without knowing what is happening, we might as well dispense with accountability as a defining attribute of democracy.PC
MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews. (courtesy The Canberra Times)
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Dictator Dan looks goofy, like a hippopotamus and is about as dangerous. It should be totally clear that he does not have Victorians’ interest in his sights.
Even with his claims to know nothing, he still must bear ultimate responsibility. As for the whole of Victoristan Labor, hopefully they are forever tarnished by their voting to take away rights- why did they not use common sense to ditch dictator Dan ? Why did they blindly bear allegiance to a tyrant and not to the People?
A true strong leader works within the rule of law to achieve objectives. A tyrant bypasses the rules and writes their own rules.
Superficially a strong leader and a tyrant look the same until you see the obvious differences.
What Dan Andrew’s gets away with is gobsmacking! putting China’s interests above Australia, blowing and responsible for costing the Australian tax payer billions of dollars. Not to mention the Victorians who have been denied hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid19 (despite doctors around the world saying it works!) and died as a result. The fall out continues, keep up the good journalism @ Politicom and let’s hope he is held to account, soon!
Andrews is a complete dunce – but worse, he’s a dangerous complete dunce! He should resign or be replaced by his own party executive.