Dan Andrews’ recognition in the King’s Birthday Honors sparked an awkward debate on The Project with presenters Waleed Aly and Steve Price disagreeing with the divisive former Victorian prime minister.
Andrews was awarded the nation’s highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia, on Monday for his “eminent service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, to public health, to political and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development.” “.
He led Victoria through the Covid pandemic, which saw Melbourne endure the world’s longest lockdown at 262 days and earned him the name ‘Dictator Dan’ for his hardline approach.
“This is a guy who locked up Victoria longer than anywhere else in the world,” Price fumed.
“Covid aside, this guy wasted $600 million not having the Commonwealth Games.”
In July 2023, Andrews canceled the Commonwealth Games, saying the event would cost between $6 billion and $7 billion, something Victoria could not afford, despite having already spent a considerable sum up to that point.
Steve Price (pictured) said it was “pathetic” that Daniel Andrews received the nation’s highest honor at the King’s Birthday Awards.
The former Victorian premier was awarded the country’s highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia, on Monday for his “eminent service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, to public health, to political and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development”.
In a scathing report published in March, Auditor-General Andrew Greaves found Victorian agencies failed to work together to provide “frank, comprehensive and timely advice” to the government on the Commonwealth Games bid.
“Decisions to bid, plan for and then withdraw from the Games have cost Victoria more than $589 million with no discernible benefit,” the report said.
“This waste of taxpayer money on an event that will not happen is significant, especially considering the state’s recent sustained operating deficits and rising debt levels.”
Price also fumed that: “All the infrastructure projects (Andrews) put in place are over budget and over time.”
“The state has the combined debt of New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania combined. And do we give him a prize? I mean, it’s pathetic.’
Although Aly admitted he had some issues with Andrews receiving such an award, he said Price was ignoring a crucial fact: Andrews’ policies were popular and Victorians re-elected him after the lockdowns.
“The problem your argument with Steve runs into is that his policies, especially on Covid, were hugely popular and were tested in an election, in which he had already won a landslide victory,” he said.
“And they returned it with an equivalent size.”
Waleed Aly (left, with Sarah Harris) defended Andrew’s policies as “wildly popular”, and Steve disagreed.
But Price interrupted him, saying: “That says more about how pathetic the opposition is.” “They weren’t very popular.”
“If you had lost a relative who died in a nursing home, if you lost a business that collapsed, if you couldn’t go bury your son when he died… and you think that guy deserves an award?” Steve said.
Waleed responded that he didn’t want to “litigate Covid again” and Steve agreed, but said: “Daniel Andrews shouldn’t get any kind of award for anything.”
When Waleed said that a man in a video package that played before the segment had acknowledged that Daniel Andrews saved his life, Steve had the definitive answer.
“Well, that won’t get you into our golf club anyway,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s former colleague Max Beck made a subtle approach to the powers that be at Portsea Golf Club last year to ask if Mr Andrews could join.
Andrews was reportedly told he would not do so, but club president Phil Cramer later denied the claims and said the former premier did not even formally submit an application.
Members of the National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula have reportedly sent the club committee a letter outlining their clear stance against Andrews’ addition.
In a letter to the committee, more than 100 members, furious at not being able to play a round during the lockdowns, claimed Andrews (pictured with Golf Australia president John Hopkins) “does not have the qualities that align with the fundamental values of the club”. ‘
Other Australians have also weighed in on the controversy: another former Victorian prime minister, Jeff Kennett, wrote in the Herald of the sun That Mr. Andrews received the highest honor has devalued the award “beyond recognition.”
“The Governor-General and the Honors Secretariat have rewarded Victoria’s gross financial mismanagement, the deaths of more than 800 Victorians and Mr Andrews’ manifest failure to fulfill his responsibilities under the Westminster system,” wrote. .
Meanwhile Jacqui Lambi told the Today is the show that Mr Andrews – like all politicians – should not be eligible for the award.
Andrews announced his resignation last year, leaving others wondering why he received the award so soon into his term, as other prime ministers traditionally have to wait years after leaving office.
Veteran broadcaster Neil Mitchell questioned the timing of the award on social media.
‘Every prime minister since Jeff (Kennett) has waited years for a gong. Dan got his in eight months. Because?’ he said.
“Dan Andrews’ gong was accelerated.”
