Andrews Leaves, Allan Reorganizes Cabinet

The biggest news in Victoria this week was the resignation of Daniel Andrews as Premier and member of Parliament. 30-year-old Andrews won a seat in the State Parliament for the Mulgrave district in the 2002 state election. He was immediately appointed minister, never having served as a backbencher, an impressive record. Four years later, he won another election to the state Parliament serving as Victorian Minister for Gaming, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Assistant Minister to the Premier for Multicultural Affairs. 2010 saw the Liberal Party’s Ted Baillieu win the general election, and Andrews was elected Leader of the Opposition at just under 40 years of age. In four years, Andrews led the Labor Party back into power and has been the 48th Premier of Victoria since 2014. Since then, he has led the Victorian Labor Party to two consecutive state elections, and entered his third term in November last year. There is no one else on the list of Victorian leaders who can compare to Andrews’ achievements.

Last week, after Andrews resigned at a time of his choosing, Premier Jacinta Allan became the second female Premier in Victoria’s history. The state’s political scene has been shaken.

“It’s Time to Go”

Andrews became Premier of Victoria in November 2014 and led the Labor Party to two election victories in 2018 and 2022. Andrews served nine years as Premier and thirteen years as Leader of the Victorian Labor Party, a tremendous opportunity for any career politician. It was no easy time for the 51-year-old to announce his departure from politics. After discussing the matter with his family, Andrews decided it was time to pass on the power and responsibility of the premiership to his successor, recognizing all the accomplishments of the last nine years of Labor government, while admitting that “it’s not going to be an easy job to be Premier”.

Andrews has made seven visits to China over the past decade or so, and has been instrumental in establishing a stable bilateral relationship between the Victorian Labor government and many parts of China, with the Victorian government signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the One Belt and One Road with China in 2018, during the first term of the Andrews government. The agreement was torn up by the Liberal federal government in 2021, despite Andrews emphasizing that the MOU was only a pro forma initiative and that it would “take into account the interests of both Victoria and the country.” Andrews, who last visited China in March, became the first Australian Premier to do so after China lifted restrictions on the Covid-19 outbreak, and hopes to capitalize on China’s student, tourism and trade markets to jump-start Victoria’s then-slowly recovering economy.

In his nine years as premier, Andrews has been embroiled in many controversies. For example, last year’s Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) investigation report revealed widespread misuse of public resources and strict precautions taken during the outbreak. Since the spread of the virus began in Australia, Andrews has announced several city closures, making the Melbourne metropolitan area the world’s longest in the world at 262 days. In addition to this, the state of Victoria has imposed curfews, five-kilometer travel restrictions and mandatory masks. The restrictions have made Andrews one of the most controversial politicians in the state, with some opponents of his policies criticizing him, but supporters of his policies standing up for public health and safety.

On the domestic front, Andrews’ determination to remove over 100 train level crossings in Melbourne and convert many platforms to underground or above ground has not only improved traffic safety, but also gained the approval and support of many motorists, and improved the traveling time in the urban area. However, the Liberal Party has always criticized that this is not an effective use of taxpayers’ resources, but it has won the hearts of the people. However, Andrews’ domineering style has made many ministers dissatisfied. In last year’s general election, 5 senior cabinet members retired early, and people criticized Andrews for his arbitrariness.

It can be said that Andrews is the most controversial premier in Victoria, with a clear division between supporters and opponents. His reforms have plunged the state into a huge debt crisis, and his choice to leave office before the state’s economy deteriorates is the best opportunity for him to do so at the most honorable time. For his successor, however, it can be said that he is handing over a hot potato to a group of inexperienced young people, and the situation is unpredictable. For the people of Victoria, it will be a long time before his contribution can be clearly assessed.

Earlier this year, Victoria announced that it would not be hosting the Commonwealth Games due to budget explosion, causing much controversy. Recently, Andrews announced an ambitious housing policy that would see Victoria build a large number of public and low-cost housing units, and then announced his retirement from politics. The merits and demerits of Andrews’ term of office cannot be judged in a few days. Sometimes it takes three or four years, and sometimes it takes up to 20 years, before the public can make a fair judgment. It is just that this departure will be a disaster for his successor.

Andrews left behind a series of major infrastructure projects that have yet to be completed, and with Victoria’s net debt set to rise from about A$135.4 billion by the middle of next year to A$171.4 billion by the end of 2027, it’s hard to know whether the Allen government will be able to address the crisis as well as it could. By leaving office just three years before the next election, Andrews has given Allan a chance to reshape the government to be more coordinated and fiscally responsible. The question is whether Allan is up to the task. It’s all up in the air.

New Cabinet Different Styles

The departure of Andrews, with the blessing of Jacinta Allen, should have been a smooth transition to becoming the 49th Premier of Victoria, but the process was not without its share of ups and downs. Ben Carroll, who is on the right faction of the party, considered challenging her, but in the end, his appointment as Deputy Premier was coordinated in a way that prevented the Labor Party from appearing divided. This demonstrated Allan’s ability to reconcile different views within the party, and was also recognized by the people of Victoria.

In 1999, at the age of 25, she became the youngest female member of the Victorian Parliament. Three years later, she was sworn in as the state’s youngest Minister, and in June 2022, she became Andrew’s deputy. The Member for Bendigo East will become the second female leader in Victoria’s history and the first Labor Premier in nearly 100 years to hold a seat in a regional seat of Victoria. Allan is committed to putting hard work, equal opportunity, working families and the environment first, continuing the Andrews Government’s policies and programs, and listening to the concerns of Victorians. The Government will stick to the debt repayment measures announced earlier this year, including the removal of the payroll tax exemption for high cost schools and a 10-year tax on second homes and investment properties.

Now that Allan has announced his new cabinet, more than 50 percent of its members are women. The longest-serving female minister in Australia’s history says she wants to show women that they have a place at every decision-making table. Historically there have been few women in politics, let alone in ministerial and leadership roles, and women politicians are viewed by different standards. Allan hopes the Victorian public will judge her on her words and actions, even if she will adopt a different style to the previous government. In particular, Ingrid Stitt will also be Minister for Mental Health, in charge of the controversial Supervised Injecting Center, which was originally planned for downtown Melbourne, as well as Stitt’s responsibilities for ageing and multicultural affairs. Whether more resources will be devoted to the Chinese community in the coming years will require more community advocacy.

In response to the government’s cabinet reshuffle, Opposition Leader John Pesutto also announced his own new lineup. One of the biggest changes is that former Leader Matthew Guy will return to the Shadow Cabinet to take charge of the key public transport department to better connect all Victorians, no matter where they live. Pesutto also said a decision had been made to split the key duties of energy and planning to allow for greater focus on the aftermath of the recent housing reforms and Victoria’s energy crisis.

Allan’s supporters and critics alike see her as a practitioner of a similar political style to Andrews, choosing to manage messaging closely and holding fast to her areas of responsibility. Allan has pledged to continue the strong reform agenda of the Andrews administration, but has promised to outline her own policy priorities, noting that this “represents a transition”. But Allan is now handed a “hot potato”.

But Allan’s handling of these issues is markedly different from that of Andrews. Andrews’ self-confidence meant that he had to know everything and make the final decision, and many ministers saw themselves as merely supportive. Allan takes the initiative and coordinates with her. This different style is expected to increase the motivation of the ministers in the cabinet. However, the ability to fully grasp the situation in a short period of time and make effective decisions in the face of a crisis is also highly dependent on the ability and experience of the ministers concerned. Crisis management is one of the most worrying issues for the new cabinet.

Uncertainty in Victoria

Before the epidemic, Andrews’ administration was characterized by infrastructure and social reforms. He launched a lot of infrastructure projects, including underground railroads and highways, and did a lot of work on infrastructure for economic development and the convenience of people’s lives. It’s only the recent news that has put Andrews on the hot seat: a massive tax drive to plug debt, interest, budget black holes, the failure of the Commonwealth Games, and report after report of corruption in the government …… Perhaps leaving at this point in time would be the best possible outcome for Andrews personally.

The most decisive factor in the continuation of these projects and reforms is funding. The state is already heavily in debt, and with interest rates rising, it is believed that the state can no longer afford to borrow. The high interest rates will make the state face huge interest expenses in the future, which will make the state’s finances even more strained. If the economy continues to decline, the unemployment rate rises, and the number of unemployed people increases, the state’s revenues will plummet, and it is believed that the state will probably be trapped in an economic crisis. If this were to happen, it would be a great test to see if Allan’s team could come up with a solution to the problem.

On Tuesday, the day after the new cabinet took office, Treasurer Tim Pallas proposed two new taxes that would tax homes that have been unoccupied for six consecutive months and vacant land that hasn’t been developed in five years, which is estimated to bring in more than $6 million a year and alleviate the shortage of housing in the state. Although investors and developers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s decision, it is believed that the policy will be supported by the residents of Victoria because only a small number of people will be affected by the policy, which can be regarded as a confirmation of the new government’s new policy.

Opportunities for Chinese elderly care services

Lizzie Blandthorn, the Minister for Ageing Care appointed by Andrews, has been reappointed as Minister of Children in the Allan Cabinet and has been replaced by Ingrid Stitt, who is also the Minister for Multiculturalism, and who needed to re-examined Lizzie’s decision to build a Chinese elderly care facility at Templestowe Lower. Ingrid should be concerned that Lizzie’s previous decision to delay building a Chinese elderly care facility at Templestowe Lower will be revisited and is an issue of particular concern to the Chinese community.

As she also manages the elderly care and multicultural community, Ingrid should pay more attention to the needs of the Chinese elderly and speed up the project, rather than delaying it. The Chinese community should actively send out their demands to the new government, so that Minister Ingrid Stitt can respond to them, which is the best time to fight for the Chinese elderly, and also the opportunity for the new government of Victoria to show that it cares about people’s needs, which is an opportunity that both sides shouldn’t miss. It is an opportunity for the new Victorian government to show that it cares about the people’s needs.

Article/SAMEWAY Editorial Department

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