I didn't know much about Dan Andrews a year or two ago. I knew he was the Labor leader in Victoria and that he had been the Premier of Victoria since 2014.
He got my attention during the bush fire crisis as he led the state with calm confidence, kept Victorians informed with constant updates, never appeared flustered and, most importantly, didn't take any time off for holidays in Hawaii while the country was in a state of emergency. Lessons had been learned from Black Saturday in 2009 and implemented with an all-in approach with his state government, working together with relevant organisations in an effort to keep Victorians safe. At the time, there was much praise in the media for Dan Andrews' response in the crisis.
If anything is going to test the mettle of a leader, it is a crisis. People tend to watch leaders closely in challenging times to gauge their leader's response in an extreme situation. A good leader will always be able to instill a level of trust and confidence in those who are listening, even a begrudging respect in those who didn't even vote them in. Dan Andrews did this during the bush fire crisis and did it well.
Dan Andrews also showed strong leadership when it was clear that Victorians were threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrews set the bar high with his fast and concise implementation. Some of the measures he took were in contradiction to the federal government's directives and drew scathing criticism that hasn't let up since COVID-19 lock downs began.
A multitude of online media sites and news sites, not to mention journalists and right-wing presenters have led the charge - criticising Andrews' every move, dissecting his decisions, pulling apart his leadership style, taking exception to being told to lock down and then telling Andrews that the lock downs didn't happen soon enough.
Through the criticism, the barrage of online abusers & the vindictive right-wing pundits in every corner of the room, Andrews has managed to keep his cool, hold them to account and answer the sometimes acidic 'gotcha' questions with calm efficiency. He states his case, apologises when necessary and admits he is wrong when he is wrong.
I find Daniel Andrews to be a breath of fresh air in our troubling times of government secrecy and zero transparency. He has a strength and resolve that is often missing in his federal counterparts.
Daniel Andrews isn't attacked by the media and the opposition because he is wrong. He is attacked because he is strong and he has shown the federal government to be wanting on many levels. He has also stirred up the blatant bias of the media over and over again.
The intended endgame of the media may not come to pass. It has had an unexpected outcome. The vitriol and hate directed towards Dan Andrews is so consuming and ridiculous it is starting to be seen for what it is. People are no longer able to tolerate the considerable and constant unreasonable criticism when they can see that Dan Andrews is doing the best job he can do in often very difficult circumstances.
"He never stops"
That's why I stand with Dan.
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