Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has lashed out at media critics, dismissing the 'Dictator Dan' moniker and deriding Sky News Australia's 'after dark bullshit' in his first interview since resigning. Speaking on the Socially Democratic podcast, Andrews said he did not care about the labels, stating: 'Call me what you want. In Victoria, the haters hate and the rest vote Labor.'
Andrews, who led Victoria through one of the world's strictest Covid-19 lockdowns, defended his record and criticised what he called 'absolute pretenders' in the media. He accused some commentators of being partisan rather than journalists, saying they had 'inserted themselves so obviously, so hamfistedly, that people don't listen to them any more.'
The former premier also denied reports that he had sought membership of the Portsea Golf Club, calling the coverage 'nonsense' that 'must help to sell newspapers.' He added: 'You just have to laugh. If you don't laugh, you'll cry.'
On the issue of politicisation of the public service, Andrews rejected claims of a 'control freak' style, arguing that the premier's office must be 'across everything.' He said integrity agencies were entitled to opinions but not to pretend they had a mandate equal to the elected government.
