Key Points
- Daniel Andrews has announced he will resign as Premier of Victoria and Member for Mulgrave.
- His resignation will come into effect from 5pm Wednesday.
- Andrews said it had been the "honour and privilege of his life" to serve as premier for nine years.
Daniel Andrews has resigned as Victoria's premier after almost a decade in the top job.
He announced on Tuesday that he would step down as the state's premier and Member for Mulgrave effective 5pm on Wednesday.
His nine years as in the top job have been marked by ambitious projects, controversy, a pandemic, and viral memes.
Here are some of the most memorable moments and major milestones from his time as premier.
When did Dan Andrews become premier?
Andrews was elected to Victorian parliament in 2002 as member for Mulgrave, and was elevated to cabinet in 2006.
He was promoted to health minister in 2007, and elected leader of the Victorian Labor Party in 2010.
Andrews became premier in November 2014, booting out a first-term Liberal government, and led Labor to two more victories in 2018 and 2022.
Daniel Andrews celebrating with his wife Catherine, kids, and his parents following his victory in the 2014 Victorian state election. Source: AAP / Joe Castro
On Tuesday, he said his change of heart was a recent decision.
"It was true then, but I changed my mind," he said.
COVID-19 lockdowns and the North Face jacket
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrews became a household name not only in Victoria, but across Australia as he brought in controversial lockdowns throughout 2020 and 2021.
During the height of the pandemic, Andrews also became known for donning a black North Face jacket during his daily COVID-19 press conferences.
His jacket inspired memes as he became an unofficial brand ambassador, and electronic group .
The black North Face jacket became synonymous with Dan Andrews during Victoria's coronavirus lockdowns. Source: AAP / Erik Anderson
When Melbourne's final lockdown ended in October 2021, the city had been in lockdown for a total of 262 days.
Andrews was on the receiving end of both passionate support and fierce criticism during the pandemic.
Earlier this month, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Andrews said he would be "happy to participate".
Commonwealth Games cancellation
In July, the Victorian government , which were due to be hosted in Victoria, blaming rising costs.
Andrews cited a forecast rise in cost from $2.6 billion to between $6 billion and $7 billion.
He and his government were criticised by the Opposition, athletes and sporting bodies.
The Victorian government later agreed to pay Commonwealth Games bodies .
Ambitious infrastructure and projects
Andrews' time as premier has also been marked by his ambitious infrastructure projects.
The large-scale developments included the Suburban Rail Loop Project, which his government said would open up access to education, health and employment centres and relieve pressures on roads.
The Andrews government's projects also included the Level Crossing Removal Project, the Major Roads Project, the North East Link, the Metro Tunnel Project, Regional Rail Revival, and West Gate Tunnel project.
Gender equality and social progress
Throughout his tenure as premier, Andrews led what some considered a socially progressive government.
In 2015, Victoria's parliament passed laws to create safe zones around abortion clinics with government support.
The following year, he apologised on behalf of the state government to men and women .
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (centre-left), Victoria's then-governor Linda Dessau (centre), and Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan (centre-right), with Andrews' cabinet after the group was sworn in following the 2022 state election. Source: AAP / Diego Fedele
In 2021, parliament passed laws to ban gay conversion practices, and in 2022 it passed laws to .
Parliamentary allowances and chauffeured pets
From the time Andrews was elected, the Labor party came under scrutiny for the use of parliamentary allowances for its 2014 election campaign, MPs not living in their electorates and claiming taxpayer money for it, and even chauffeuring pets.
Labor misused $388,000 in parliamentary allowances to pay political campaign staff during the 2014 election, an investigation by the Victorian Ombudsman found.
About 21 past and present Labor MPs breached parliamentary guidelines when staff were diverted to help campaign for members.
The rort was also investigated by police. No criminal charges were laid.
In November 2016, Training and Skills Minister Steve Herbert resigned for using his taxpayer-funded driver to chauffeur his two dogs, Patch and Ted, between his Melbourne and Trentham homes.
In 2017, former Speaker Telmo Languiller and his deputy Don Nardella were involved in rorting an allowance for country members, prompting their resignations.
In 2020, then-Minister for Local Government was accused of handing over cash and using parliamentary employees to create fake members to amass political power.
Somyurek, along with Robin Scott, Marlene Kairouz, and Luke Donnellan were stripped of their portfolios over the accusations.
Andrews apologised for the "disgraceful" behaviour and promised to implement all 21 recommendations of the Operation Watts report - which came from a joint investigation between Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and the Victorian Ombudsman, plus additional legislative reforms for all parties.
- With additional reporting by AAP.
