News Corp’s conspiracy theories help shield Andrews from legitimate scrutiny

After eight years in government, Daniel Andrews and Victorian Labor have accumulated a long history of scandals — such as the red shirts, branch stacking, the systematic misuse of taxpayer funds, and the lack of responsibility for the decision to outsource quarantine security.

The Victorian Liberals have been unable, or unwilling, to hold Andrews properly to account. They’re more interested in their own branch stacking, peddling conspiracy theories, internal brawls and embracing extremism. However bad the Andrews government has been at times, the Liberals have been far, far worse.

That leaves the media as the primary mechanism for holding Andrews to account, however much Andrews fans on social media see any critical reporting of the premier, however strongly evidenced, as a right-wing plot.

Last week Nine newspapers’ Paul Sakkal unearthed another scandal, the subject of an investigation by the state’s anti-corruption watchdog, IBAC. It pertains to training grants to the Health Workers Union made over the objections of Health Department officials, possibly as a result of pressure from ministerial offices.

After contacting the premier’s office for comment, Sakkal then learnt the IBAC was seeking an injunction to block his reporting. Who tipped off IBAC?

When asked about that, Andrews ducked and weaved in an almost insultingly facile attempt to evade the question. Andrews also described Sakkal’s reporting as “smear, innuendo or media reporting based on anonymous sources”. He declined to back up those claims when asked to.

This is truly grubby stuff. The only smear was of Sakkal for doing his job. And the serious question remains: if Andrews’ office didn’t tip off IBAC, who did? If Andrews’ personal policy is to not comment on IBAC reports until they’re finalised, a simple “no comment” would have sufficed.

Problem is, while Sakkal was doing his job, News Corp, and specifically the Herald Sun, was failing to do its job. Instead of seeking to hold Andrews to account over legitimate issues, it was puffing up an absurd conspiracy theory about Andrews’ back injury that sidelined him in 2021.

The mockery and derision the Herald Sun received were entirely deserved, including that from Andrews himself at the weekend. And it allowed Andrews to portray him and his government as the victims of a media campaign. In the case of News Corp, that’s quite literally true. But it seems when Andrews employs language like “smear and innuendo” to describe perfectly valid media coverage from other outlets, he’d prefer Victorians to think all negative coverage of him is ill-founded and illegitimate.

As Andrews’ continued strong polling suggests, News Corp’s relentless campaign over the years has done little to dent his success. He heads into the election at the end of the month the strong favourite; the only question remains is whether independents and minor parties will take enough seats from both Liberals and Labor to threaten his outright majority.

All News Corp’s campaign has done has given credence to the idea that Andrews is a victim, instead of the most powerful man in the state, with a well-resourced media management apparatus at his disposal.

Doubtless stating such truths will infuriate Andrews fans and rusted-on Labor supporters, especially on social media. But they labour under the delusion that Andrews is a figure who needs protection and support, that he is their tribal leader.

He is none of those things: he is one of the most powerful people in the country, with vast taxpayer-funded resources at his beck and call, who should be held to account like any other person in such a privileged position. News Corp makes that job much harder.

Should Dan Andrews be allowed to keep playing the victim or should he be held to account? Let us know by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.