Embattled former politician Dan Andrews escaped to New York to party with A-list celebrities at an event hosted by an Australian billionaire who has just been given a top appointment in the Victorian government.
Andrews is understood to have traveled to New York City to attend a party hosted by Visy’s billionaire chairman Anthony Pratt, held this week at the exclusive Mandarin Oriental hotel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Pratt threw the lavish party to celebrate his recent American Green Card and his move from Melbourne to the Big Apple.
Celebrities including comedian Chris Rock, actor George Hamilton, Australian singer Keith Urban and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott joined Andrews and Pratt at the shindig at the 5-star hotel on Columbus Ave.
Pratt, who has a personal fortune of $23 billion, spared no expense to have Rock perform at the exclusive event.
However, Andrews’ attendance at the party was met with criticism amid a cost-of-living crisis in his home state and a growing blacklist of disgruntled business heavyweights.
The Victorian Liberal’s shadow treasurer, Brad Rowswell, said it looked “bad” that Andrews was “escaping to New York” for Mr Pratt’s celebrity soirée.
“There is clearly no love for Andrews in Melbourne, which is evident with all the companies blacklisting him,” Rowswell said.
Dan Andrews and his wife Catherine
Anthony Pratt at the Met Gala 2024
“So much so that he has flown to New York to snuggle with billionaires… and while he sends champagne, the master’s apprentice, (Prime Minister) Jacinta Allan, continues to make life more difficult for the Victorian workers who pay the highest in the state. taxes in the country.
“Labor politicians couldn’t be more out of touch with the difficulties Victorians face if they tried.”
The revelations from Andrews’ party trip came on the same day that Prime Minister Allan announced that Pratt will take a leading role in the Prime Minister’s newly created Business Council.
Pratt was appointed to the council alongside other Victorian heavyweights including AFL boss Andrew Dillon and NAB boss Andrew Irvine.
Gurner Group boss and former Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour will be chairman of the council.
According to a government statement, the council will provide a “direct line of interaction between business and government.”
“Through the Premier’s Business Council, I will hear directly from some of Victoria’s best business minds to ensure government and business work together for the benefit of our entire state,” Ms Allan said.
Andrews has come under fire in the last week after prominent businessmen announced that the former prime minister was banned from their services and establishments.
Victorian Liberal MP Brad Rowswell
Chris Rock performed at Mr. Pratt’s party in New York
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed on Friday that Jim’s Mowing boss Jim Penman had officially dropped Dan Andrews from his company.
Penman told the former Victorian premier he is prohibited from using any of the franchise king’s services.
The franchise king told Daily Mail Australia he had canceled Andrews and “believes all of Victoria” should also blacklist the former pollie.
“If I were on the tools, I wouldn’t work for him, and I would encourage any franchisee or independent contractor to do the same,” Penman said.
‘He laid off more than 100,000 independent contractors for two months, without any health advice, as evidenced by our lawsuit.
“I’ll be very happy to think that he’ll have to mow his own lawn, clean his own house and cook his own dinner, but I’m sure there will be someone who likes it and will do it for him.”
‘It must be humiliating for him (to be included in the back list). He was all-powerful sitting on his throne in Spring St, wagging his fingers saying who can work and who can’t, but now the people have the power.’
Jim’s Mowing boss Jim Penman has ‘cancelled’ Andrews
Penman also said he thought it was “personally a good idea” for Andrews to resign from Victoria following his departure from politics and his new role as chairman of youth mental health fund, Orygen.
“I hope he leaves… he’s running out of options, I would recommend he leaves Victoria, the amount of damage he has done to this state is immeasurable,” he said.
‘It’s the most hostile state to do business in… the guy is a disaster.
“It’s also ridiculous that Andrews is running this mental health organisation, it’s like letting rapists run women’s shelters or pedophiles run daycares.
“Andrews has done more to undermine mental health than anyone in the history of the state… I’ve seen the effects firsthand, I’ve seen people lose homes and families… I actually know these people.”
Daily Mail Australia also revealed last week that former AFL star Paul Dimattina, who runs South Melbourne’s popular Lamaro’s Hotel, had banned Andrews from his premises.
Dimattina said the former premier was “easily the most hated person” in Victoria as it was revealed several restaurant owners had refused to serve Mr Andrews and his wife Cath.
“There is no hope of Andrews getting a seat in my pub,” Dimattina told Daily Mail Australia.
Paul Dimattina, former AFL player and Melbourne restaurant heavyweight
‘If he came in and sat down…the Lamaro crowd would be upset if they saw him…Andrews is hated for all his anti-business stance.
‘The trail of destruction Andrews left is still felt today, small businesses closed, endless closures, critical healthcare neglected, children out of school… he helped no one.
“Mental health went downhill and now Andrews has a job in mental health, if you can believe it.”
Dimattina, who followed his 131-game AFL career by taking over the restaurant and produce empire founded by his father Frank, said Andrews also “absolutely crippled” the hospitality industry.
He became a leading voice opposing Victoria’s response to Covid when Andrews imposed the longest lockdown periods in the world.
“Business was decimated, the CBD is a ghost town, once the thriving restaurants close, it’s the same on all the main streets, Chapel St, Lygon St, there are empty businesses everywhere,” he said.
“What Andrews did was make running a small business not an easy thing… he’d be better off leaving the state, I’m sure there are some people who still love him, lefties and all, but he’s not welcome anywhere.” side and us”. We’ll all be better off not seeing him here.
Dimattina’s family owns and has owned several restaurants in the city, including along the famous Lygon Street district.
Andrews was Victorian premier for almost nine years before resigning at the end of 2023 and taking a new role at Orygen, a mental health organisation.