The result of the Victorian election has been analysed to within an inch of its life. Federal factors, state factors, good leadership, leadership in a vacuum. One thing we can conclude with certainty is that Dan Andrews is the most successful political leader in Australia at present.
He is a formidable politician. We know this because his opponents now acknowledge it.
Andrews has gone from socialist ne’er-do-well, painted as a cartoon villain in so many op-eds last week to being extolled by John Howard during an interview with Leigh Sales on 7.30 on Tuesday night.
“Can I give credit where it is due, I think Daniel Andrews was a very good campaigner. I think he is an extremely good communicator. He explains things clearly, simply and well …” Howard said.
High praise.
The previous titleholder was Annastacia Palaszczuk who went from minority government in Queensland in 2015 on the back of a 12 per cent swing, to forming majority government in Queensland in 2017 with a four-seat net gain.
Dan Andrews’ triumph in Victoria with votes still being counted points to a nine-seat net gain and swing towards Labor on primary vote of 4.6 per cent with the Liberals (-5.9 per cent), Greens (-1.6 per cent) and Nationals (-0.2) all down.
Elsewhere in the states there are new governments in power who are yet to return to the people to have their appeal and their records tested. In New South Wales, the thumping majority won by Barry O’Farrell in 2011 was cut back in 2015 under Mike Baird by 15 seats. Gladys Berejiklian faces a tough fight to hang on in the 2019 state election on March 23 next year and will almost certainly lose seats.
Federally, no government has been returned with an increased majority since the Coalition under John Howard in 2004.
This makes Dan Andrews the undisputed king of electoral politics in Australia. While there have been calumnies (notably the ‘Red Shirts’ scandal with allegations of electoral fraud) and missteps along the way, his first-term agenda has been substantially carried out. The plan for a second term, how to get there and why was effectively communicated.
In the campaign, Andrews assiduously avoided attack politics. He chose to rise above it for the practical reason that the majority of voters are turned off by the schoolyard name calling and petty derision commonplace in politics elsewhere.
Basic stuff, really, for any political party seeking to find its way into government and stay there.
Maybe we need not look much further at the reasons for Andrews’ success. But I want to tell a story that I thought was best left until after the Victorian election lest it be thought I was trying to sway voters. We are beyond that now and the dust has settled.
I’ve had dealings with the Andrews government, not as a journalist but as an advocate on behalf of Denis Ryan. Many will know the story. Denis was a detective with Victoria Police based in Mildura who sought to prosecute an outrageously prolific paedophile priest only to find corrupt forces within VicPol turn against him. That was in 1972. He lost the job he loved and was left battered and bruised by the encounter.
Denis Ryan’s story was told by me in 2013 in the book Unholy Trinity. The assertions of police corruption and wilful ignorance within the Catholic Church were proven in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse in 2015.
The Andrews government had no legal liability to compensate Ryan. The statute of limitations had long since lapsed. I could only appeal to their sense of decency. I had meetings with ministers and almost endless streams of correspondence with various apparatchiks, chiefs of staff, media advisers. Former ministers in Labor governments were recruited to lobby current ministers.
Denis waited.
It was only when Premier Andrews stepped in that the wheels started turning. His intervention accelerated the matter to the point where the 87-year-old hero to so many in Victoria and across the nation received his compensation within a matter of days. After 46 years of waiting for justice, it was all done and dusted in less than two weeks.
The undisclosed amount was not a lotto win for Ryan. It was enough to buy him digs in a retirement home in Mildura and see his needs taken care of for the remainder of his life. He can enjoy a holiday now. That’s the strength of it and despite being owed millions, that is all Denis wanted.
I often said to Labor ministers, “If you want to have a good day in politics go and stand next to Denis Ryan. Shake his hand and see him right.”
I thought they might be swayed by the thought of a good news story. An election was looming. A government could always do with a good news day.
Remarkably, Andrews did not seek to make a virtue out of it. Neither Andrews nor any of his ministers went up to Mildura to stand on a flat bed truck and hand Denis an oversized presentation cheque in front of a gaggle of media, in an attempt to squeeze a vote out of it here and there. Instead it was done quietly. Without a fuss.
The payment did not have to be made and without the intervention of Andrews, the request for compensation may well be gathering dust on someone’s desk deep in the bowels of a minister’s office in Spring Street. Dan Andrews chose to compensate Ryan without any hullabaloo, any rough politicking. He just did it.
From someone who has been an observer of government for a long time, seen them come and go — some good, some less so — it was impressive.
Some might say the Andrews government did what any government should do and they’d be right, but the fact remains there were eight state governments in Victoria from both sides of the divide that should have acted but did not.
Ryan was made a Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day this year for his services to “child protection investigations”. He was named Mildura’s Citizen of the Year, the award bestowed upon him on the same day.
After he received his compensation, another award came his way. Denis was to be made a Freeman of the City of Mildura.
He personally invited Premier Andrews to attend the ceremony. Andrews replied in writing days later.
Dear Mr Ryan,
I am sorry I cannot be there in person to see the conferment of your latest title, ‘Freeman of the Rural City of Mildura’.
But I cannot think of a more deserving recipient.
While others chose to hide the truth or avert their gaze, you instead shone a bright light on one of our darkest chapters.
Your courage of conviction, and your relentless pursuit of justice, have changed our nation for good.
On behalf of the Victorian government and the Victorian people, thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Dan Andrews
Politicians come and go. And Dan Andrews one day will certainly go. The how and the why is a long way from being determined. As Paul Keating said of a life in politics, “Everyone goes out feet first, the only difference is whether the pall bearers are crying or not.”
There is perhaps another truism. In politics as in life, decency goes a long way.
This article was first published in The Australian on 28 November 2018.
The right whinge minority is clearly running the the liberal party. Kelly’s threats/blackmail has been rewarded with pre-selection. The desperate PM has, on the run, has contrived his own Beer Hall Putsch (we can only hope it fails also) and named himself Fuhrer for 1000 years and will continue to run on extreme nationalism and demonising minorities. The removal of civil liberties will continue and any civil or political activism will end in jail terms. The PM will announce he is not a New South Welshman but an Australian. An enabling act with plenary powers will be introduced immediately. The Party will demand freedom of religion (for all religious denominations that are not opposed to the customs and moral sentiments of the Anglo race) the national religion will be Positive Christianity.
Once again conservatives have enabled the hard right to seize control of a political movement and it will be to the detriment of all citizens of this nation. No Surprises.
Penny says:
NOVEMBER 29, 2018 AT 11:01 PM
”I do like the way folk from Queensland and Tasmania speak with such authority on a hospital in Adelaide, without mentioning disastrous examples of public health in their own states. ………………..A Tasmanian hospital caused the unnecessary death of my Aunt and the Queensland health department’s incompetence ensured an old friend died a painful and unnecessary death from cancer. Pisses me off when uninformed people think they can make comments because a) they used to work for a company that built hospitals (?) and b) they think they are scoring points against people who come from SA. I just hope neither of you need to use a hospital in an emergency is all I can say.”
A comment of epic, almost Dismayed proportions, Penny. Needs a response seeing as I assume that I am the ”Tasmanian” you refer to.
Firstly I should point out that my comment was on the hospital – regardless of where it was built. At $2.4 billion it is the world’s most expensive hospital – and is currently in the top 5 most expensive buildings in the world. I don’t care if it is in Sydney, Hobart or Timbuctoo – my comment would be the same – viz. that it seemed to me that perhaps not enough input was sought from people who actually work in hospitals during the design process.
You seem to query the company I worked with built ”hospitals(?). Yes, we designed some significant hospital and research facilities – to name just a couple – The Royal Womens Hospital, Melbourne (National Award winner)and the Bio21 research facility at Melbourne University – which is visited by scientists from all over the world. Another award winner. I won’t bore you with the rest of the list. But I do know what goes into the design of buildings like that.
You should do some research on the RAH design issues. They should not happen. Not sure if the electronic patient records system has been fixed, but last I heard (June 2018) it was costing $2.9million/year to courier paper records back and forth – as the hospital is not designed to hold the weight of paper records. The emergency dept is totally inadequate and I heard a redesign is in the offing. As I commented initially, maybe more input should have been consulted during the design process.. For $2.4billion one would expect that. Adelaide location has nothing to do ith it. A really immature comment from you.
I have private health to keep me out of the public system, but like you, I hope I never land up in Emergency. Not a place anyone would relish being I should think, regardless of where it is.
Lastly I trust your relative’s next of kin sued the Tasmanian hospital that killed them? You seem to have relatives/friends in most places that come under discussion here. How convenient.
Boa, I have relatives and friends in all states of Australia……I come from a large family and whether you believe it or not I do get on with most people, so yes I do have a lot of friends, good friends I might add…..stop sounding like such a sourpuss. I’m starting to agree with Dismayed, you are a little obsessed with him.
As for your other comments I don’t care who builds hospitals, but I do care about what goes on within those hospitals so your comments are irrelevant. As to whether my cousins sued the Tasmanian hospital what do you reckon Boa, what’s the likelihood of that being successful? I’ve told you before you need to look at the real issues, not go off on your tangents. Talk to people who actually work in the medical field, not who built the bloody hospitals.
Hear Hear Dr Penny Hear Hear. Also Yvonne is wrong on all counts about the Hospital and other things. No Surprises.
When you are one of the few that Dismayed continually snipes at with derogatory comments and no facts or rebuttals, it is not obsession Penny but self defense.
I find it fascinating that you are on one the few who defends the cut and paste clown.
JS, no I was defending myself in this case…..Boa thinks I conveniently have family and friends all over the place in order to back up my opinions and then compared me to Dismayed……sorry JS, but I am going to reply when she is wrong on both counts……which happens often with Boa. She’s happy to make a comment insulting people, but then claims to be a victim when pulled up on it.
Having said that I believe everyone should be given a go on this blog and I for one have complained about people (not just Dismayed) constantly cutting and pasting links, which are often outdated or cannot be opened. There are quite a few on here however that I now don’t read for various reasons but the cut and pasting is my pet peeve. It’s why I like Twitter so much, you don’t have to follow the people you don’t agree with and scroll quickly through the Tweets that area a waste of time
You miss the point entirely. A building has to be designed and built so as to function adequately for the purpose it was intended.
RE’: “I’ve told you before “…….. Don’t lecture me. Or any of the others here whose posts don’t meet your standards, for that matter. Makes you seem a bit of a sourpuss.
So Morrisson does a “Rudd” and staves up the leadership position of the PM
Bit late for that.
Morrison making sure he is “cemented” in Boadicea and while he draws breath there is still the remote possibility he can win in 2019. Ex-PM Howard thinks so too in this clip. Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ_ROx0X8jI
Crikey, I hope that supergrass has adequate witness protection. There’ll be a few contracts out I reckon.
She would be well advised to leave the country and go into a witness protection program on another continent. And what the hell were the Vic police thinking?
Wiss ol pal. Oh gosh! David Attenborough has wet his pants.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/david-attenborough-us-climate-change-warning-1.4930189
For anyone interested “Baptiste the Redeemer” is offering until Christmas Day, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, a 20% reduction on the whole range of passes to heaven upon expiration of your Earthly bits. From Budget to Platinum class we still offer the same money back plus interest guarantee that you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You will be included in the draw to win a special “Admit One” pass, signed by all the Apostles.
* This offer does not apply to the additional charges for select accommodation packages.
Book now, we are already putting on extra staff.
Indulgences went out of fashion a few hundred years ago JB – but they were a pretty good money spinner in their day so maybe it is time for a revival.
The Catholic Church could re-introduce purgatory and the resultant payments to compensate all those poor kids who some of their kind put through purgatory.
By the way, the “great flood” pops up in all sorts of places around the world.
Well then that must have been one hell of a flood then!
Put me in your Draw to win one “Admit One” Free Pass to Heaven please Mr. Baptiste. You are indeed a man of many skills and much illuminating information.
I say “Damnation” to those who don’t take you seriously for they not knowest the day of reckoning is near. Or some Bollocks like that. Cheers
Sponsored by Polish coal, Jean. Most amusing.
Jean Baptiste – Here’s an interesting quote from David Attenborough, purloined from his wikepedia bio:
“Three and a half million years separate the individual who left these footprints in the sands of Africa from the one who left them on the moon. A mere blink in the eye of evolution. Using his burgeoning intelligence, this most successful of all mammals has exploited the environment to produce food for an ever-increasing population. In spite of disasters when civilisations have over-reached themselves, that process has continued, indeed accelerated, even today. Now mankind is looking for food, not just on this planet but on others. Perhaps the time has now come to put that process into reverse. Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, perhaps it’s time we control the population to allow the survival of the environment.”
Here here and bravo and well said and all that but can’t he think for himself and get his head around basic science?
You need to get out more Milton. You don’t seriously believe he really thinks man landed on the moon?
The last sentence of that quote is very apt, Milton.
For me David Suzuki’s theory has always stuck in my mind – “We cannot take energy out of the planet without replacing it in equal amount. It is not sustainable”
We have been doing that for the last 200 years – relentlessly.
It’s the other ramifications of climate change that are scary. About 400million people are going to have to relocate to somewhere – and they will need food – which is getting harder and harder to grow.
or hear hear? One of the pitfalls of the written word.
I have not, on this blog or elsewhere, said anything about climate change. I’ve mentioned twice, in 2 years, my enduring fascination with the sea. I merely cautioned you, twice, to stick to accepted methods of scientific measurement, and refrain from alarmism, as it muddies the waters. There’s enough bad news in the environment without making it seem worse than it is. If enough folk believe it is worse than it is, they’ll just throw their arms up and say “This is too hard”, and nothing will get done. I don’t comment on politics of either flavour, and believe they are all a pack of self-interested wankers, and their camp followers are an unimaginative parcel without the imagination to look for new solutions to the endless and sterile left v right bullshit we’ve endured since the Romans.
I already have a ticket in the lift and don’t need your generous offer. Paul Newman on the ‘jo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNtftzGqrmY
Yeah well, scientific measurement tells us we are right up s8&t creek.
This is a very interesting link. The view from space of the onset of the great flood is thought provoking to say the least. To see it so dramatically graphically presented we can understand the impact it had on the population of the Earth which I have just learned was about 4 billion at the time.
However unlikely that may seem, it is accounted for by the fact that humans lived for up to a thousand years before the flood.
https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/
How on earth do you find these links JB?
Well, it feels like God is leading me to these important revelations JS. I go into a rapture and the mouse just seems to have a life of it’s own.
No job – time on his hands.
Retired years ago. Pretty much dedicated myself to learning, real learning. You should try it Wiss. You get one chance at this and I refuse to leave the planet as one more brainwashed fool, who never figured out what was really going on.
When you figure out what is really going on, Jean be sure to share it all with us on here.
I have been doing so Wiss, in the futile hope that you lot of old fossils are willing to or even capable of breaking your lockstep acquiescence to a manufactured reality.
How did the do the Population Census those days Mr. Baptiste, it was 2348 BC? However an interesting link indeed, You are right across the survival of the Planet if nothing else dear fellow. Cheers
It was a very sophisticated world society then Henry. Then God got the shits with the decadence and whack!
Only the chosen few will get into heaven after Armageddon – 144,000 I think. Every crackpot religion reckons they are the chosen ones. Dunno when the number of followers exceed said numbers.
I kind of like the re-incarnation religions – behave yourself or look out what you come back as.
No need to worry about Climate Change – it is written in the ancient texts that the end is nigh.
https://www.endtime.com/armageddon/
JB you have got it covered both ways – Climate change will do us all in within 4 years and, if that does not happen, God will step in..
Great photo from 2348BC JB. They must have taken it from the biblical spaceship on its way to the Moon, which makes the USA landing in 1969 a bit passe eh ?
So if your math is correct, it seems about 3,999,999,980 persons didnt make it through the big flood. So much for modern global warming, God has been there before.
As for your discount for the Kingdom of Heaven, you’d better sharpen your pencil. It will be way over crowded to get a lounge on the beach.
Thanks JB. Now Google is spamming with ads for those idiots.
Coal on the Coast
I am awe and wonderstruck, under your patient tutelage I have finally discovered, surrendered,to the truth of creation and God’s marvellous plan for suitable humans.
It’s all so simple. When you think about it why would God piss about for millions of years evolving humans and putting the finishing touches on Earth? He’s a God for Chrissake! He built the whole universe in less than a week.
Now I finally (see link) understand the glory of his plan. (for God loving people like us) He didn’t put all that coal there for nothing! We would be churlish and ungrateful if we did not use it as God intended.
Praise the Lord and “dig it up. dig it up”
Bless you me old mate.
https://saysthelord.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/the-flood-coal-and-oil/
I recall putting the question to my grade 6 religion teacher about Genesis & how God managed to create the whole shebang in 6 days, then had a rest on the 7th, no wonder after a busy week like that. He got a little cross with me and told me not to be so stupid as it was impossible. He added that Genesis was written in terms people in the time of the Old Testament could understand, parable style if you like. One of those, “You’ve got to have faith” deals. Perhaps we should replace “days” with mega annums or giga-annums.
Excellent post Mack. Praise the Lord, you can have 50% discount off any of our “Passes to Heaven.”
I recommend the “Gold” over “Platinum” for value (Gold is sort of business class) because the Angels only do classical in the Platinum section and classical on harps would send you bats.
Smite them heaps.
But what of you JB, it’s a worry you’re capitalising on people’s desire for paradise eternal. Your camel will never squeeze through the eye of that needle. It will be Beelzebub’s Barbecue for you! Bunions as it were.
Anywho, I have it on good authority the orchestra is not really the Angels, they are far too busy, but a tribute band with Harpo Marx on lead and Chico on piano so the music will be tolerable. The Almighty has forgiven them and Big Pete (the Rock) let them in, apparently he is one heck of a doorman.
Bollocks , you’ve been listening to those dope addled musos.
And no Mack, there is no Beezlebub or any of that other tosh.
I’m making a motzah flogging “after life style ” and off the plan real estate here. it all fits within the ethics guidelines of the Real Estate Institute.
Got the idea from the Pope.
Give ’em heaps.
Good one MotK, I recently asked a Minister after he had delivered a sermon on Cain and Abel, why Cain’s offerings to the Lord weren’t as good as Abel’s. There was a mad rush to look at the Bible and guess what the answer was…..it’s open to interpretation.
I thought you were a professor Penny, the answer is simple. Cain wasnt Able.
They sure don’t like the pointy enquiries Penny. I asked one time if Adam and Eve had Cain & Abel, then Cain killed Abel, where did the rest of us come from. Think I got a 2 page write out for that one.
And with whom was Cain Abel to procreate? ‘Oh, Muuum!’
That’s it, you are all going to hell!
Brother Wilfrid kicked me out of Religion one day when I asked him how Mary could have a child and still be a virgin with the added heathen statement that she was only about 13 or 14 when she conceived via a Roman Soldier.
Right up your alley, Mr. Insider, given all the fabulous Crime Research and Shows you have done. Big 12 page story in one of the Melbourne Newspapers tomorrow (Tuesday) we are told.
“Victorian Government calls Royal Commission into potentially tainted gangland convictions”
https://tinyurl.com/y8tfjj5s
Huge story but one we need to be careful in discussing given the subject matter and the web of suppression orders. One to watch.
Indeed Mr. Insider what revelations are to come. I note Andrew Bolt was all over this story last night on the “Bolt Report” too even had an “expert” on to comment. Cheers
Huge story indeed, particularly when her name becomes public knowledge, which it will shortly I imagine…
Suppression order is ridiculous – from the cases mentioned already, every hack, crim and lawyer probably knows her name
Crazy that the name of the person is suppressed, but reported in the media it is a woman. Now everyone knows who she is.
She apparently has declined witness protection. Gulp.
I don’t
A lot of the current crop of politicians seem to be much braver when it suits them, a case in point being Malcolm Turnbull’s call to let the branches preselect candidates. Funny, because I don’t recall Turnbull taking on the right wing of the Libs when he was PM, notwithstanding the fact that Craig Kelly is probably the biggest waste of space in Parliament.
Tony Abbott is another case in point, of someone who wouldn’t make the hard calls as leader, but is perfectly willing to do so as a back seat driver.
I guess it’s hard to wean politicians off power.
Could be, could be, the biggest waste of space in Parliament. He’s a porker alright but there are few other mud gutses in there that might give him a run for his money.
Hi Jack, been considering the subject since Friday trying to put it into perspective, here goes.
When I think about the huge sums of money politicians get to squander, oops, I mean sign off on, like the sum Vic Govt paid not to build a freeway for instance, I reckon Big Dan should have given Denis every cent he was owed, in today’s dollars. Perhaps it would set a precedent but definitely show as an example that (a) It really is worthwhile to stick to your principles when something is so wrong and needs to be followed through to the bitter end, if you have the ticker for it like Denis amazingly did, and (b) The statute of limitations can be ignored when it concerns such a serious miscarriage of justice. No statute of limitations on murder so why not in this case, figuratively speaking, Denis’ life was taken from him. No one should ever have to endure what he had to, a lesser man might have thrown the big towel in years ago.
I’m projecting here, but Denis would probably neither want nor need a lottery sized sum of money, but I reckon he would have put the excess to a good cause or two close to his heart. Money just goes round and round anyway and would’ve helped a few people out in the local community.
Yep, Dan did bloody good and I salute him for that, but he could have done great and became a legend for righting such a huge wrong. Not many opportunities these days for politicians to do great, but this was one of them. The man was kept waiting 46 years for cryin’ out loud Dan! 46 bloody years!
I have to give him a silver star with honours*, but it could have been gold, gold, gold.
*For doing it without fanfare.
Heaps of praise for you too Jack for not giving up on this considering your own battles to fight of late. Huge effort mate.
Thanks, mate.
Interesting little statistic for a bit more perspective Jack, Dan Andrews is 46 years old.