Daniel Andrews

Following a multiyear investigation, IBAC concluded in 2026 that the Andrews government had circumvented Westminster-style procedures, codes and conventions in 2016 negotiations with the United Firefighters Union to secure a politically expedient outcome. The report notably described the union's extraordinary influence and negotiations conducted outside normal institutional channels.

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Andrews government agreed to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games across several regional cities but withdrew in 2023, citing soaring costs. The Auditor-General concluded that cancellation cost more than 589 million dollars without discernible benefit, that the original business case was insufficient and that the public estimate of 6,9 billion announced upon cancellation was overstated and lacked transparency. A subsequent parliamentary inquiry named Andrews among the ministers sharing responsibility.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The project that became West Gate Tunnel began as an approximately 500 million-dollar Labor proposal to remove lorries from western Melbourne roads. After evolving into a partnership with Transurban, its total cost reached approximately 10,2 billion dollars, the state's contribution rose to around 4,2 billion, and opening occurred several years later than originally scheduled. Contaminated soil and disputes over its treatment were major causes of delays and cost overruns.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

In Operation Watts, IBAC and the Ombudsman documented a culture of branch stacking, nepotism, publicly funded positions used for factional purposes, forged signatures and attempts to influence grants. Andrews was questioned in private and acknowledged having long known of non-genuine membership recruitment practices in the party.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Operation Daintree concluded that political advisers had pressured civil servants to award a contract worth approximately 1,2 million dollars to the Health Workers Union without competitive tendering. IBAC described privileged access, favourable treatment and an outcome that was not in the public interest, and stated that the Premier was accountable to Parliament for his team's conduct.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The so-called "Red Shirts" scheme used parliamentary staff for Labor election campaigning before the 2014 election. The Ombudsman found that the arrangement was a device contrary to parliamentary rules and identified participants, but subsequently reviewed Andrews' specific role.

State of the evidence

Documented

Under Andrews, Victoria became the only Australian state to sign agreements linked to China's Belt and Road Initiative, prompting significant controversy over foreign policy, national security and a state undertaking its own initiative with Beijing. In 2021, the federal government used new powers to cancel the agreements.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Victoria's hotel quarantine programme was at the centre of the second wave of COVID-19. The inquiry identified serious design and coordination failures and could not determine who had actually decided to employ private security guards. Andrews apologised unreservedly for the programme's errors.

Attribution

Political responsibility

The overnight curfew imposed in Melbourne during lockdown provoked considerable controversy when Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton indicated that he had not proposed it and the police chief said the measure had not originated with police either. Andrews ultimately accepted that it was a government decision intended to reduce movement and simplify the rules.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Before the 2014 election, Andrews had promised to abandon the East West Link. His government subsequently terminated the contract, with the Auditor-General assessing the total cost at more than one billion dollars, including abandoned expenditure and assets. The audit also criticised the absence of an updated and comprehensive merits assessment before termination.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

A crisis erupted when audits confirmed that waiting-list data had been falsified at Victorian hospitals to improve apparent performance. The opposition called for Health Minister Daniel Andrews to resign and accused him of responding too late to earlier warnings.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The ambulance union published an internal email which it presented as evidence that the Health Department had failed to act on warnings about the need to guarantee ten hours' rest between certain shifts. Daniel Andrews was Health Minister at the time.

State of the evidence

Alleged

Attribution

Political responsibility