FORMER Mildura MP Ali Cupper has said “good riddance” to Daniel Andrews, who has announced he will be stepping down as the Victorian Premier at 5pm on Wednesday.
Mr Andrews announced his resignation in a snap press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Ms Cupper, who held the state seat as an independent after previously unsuccessfully running as a Labor candidate, had a challenging political relationship with the Andrews government, which delivered on her campaign to return the city’s major hospital to public management but then failed to deliver a new health facility she had also championed.
Ms Cupper gave a brief response when asked to reflect on the Premier’s legacy, saying “good riddance”.
“He was a successful party politician, but I didn’t like the way he treated people,” she said.
A perceived alignment with a Labor government unpopular in this area was seen by political observers as a major factor in Ms Cupper’s election loss last year to the Nationals’ Jade Benham, who yesterday described Mr Andrews as “a political animal”.
Ms Benham said Mr Andrews was a old school politician “who says one thing and did another without any sign of conscience”.
She said there had been murmurs in political circles that he had “one foot out the door” for months.
“I actually thought he would have seen the year out, but it’s come very, very quickly,” she said.
“But it wasn’t unexpected.”
Ms Benham said the Premier’s legacy would be different for everyone, but that his resignation had boosted morale in the Victorian Coalition.
“We saw a few weeks ago when he was off sick how chaotic the Labor Party became, because he has been there for a very long time,” she said.
“He rules with an iron fist and, when he’s not there, chaos reigns.”
“It is going to be a very, very interesting three years ahead.”
A Labor caucus meeting at noon today will choose the state’s next premier.
Ms Benham said she was looking forward to the fallout of the premier’s resignation in the next Parliament sitting week.
“It’s back to sitting week next week and it will be without Daniel,” Ms Benham said.
“The last couple of months of the year while we’re in session is really, really busy … dare I say it’s going to be a bit of circus, I fear.”
Former Nationals MP Peter Crisp, who held the seat of Mildura before it was won by Ms Cupper, said the Premier would leave his party some difficult shoes to fill.
“I think Premier Andrews’ legacy will be one where you either loved or hated him, there doesn’t seem to me to be much in-between ground,” Mr Crisp said.
He added that the Premier did have some skills, “sometimes bordering on the dictatorial”, but suggested he would be remembered most for “causing discomfort” over debts and blowouts on major projects.
“The debt will grow and it will need to be repaid in some way, shape or form in some time, and all Victorians will have to bare that impost on their lives,” he said.
