Costello: Andrews government ‘worst in Australia’

Australia’s longest serving treasurer Peter Costello has declared the Daniel Andrews’ Victorian government as “the worst in Australia”.

Mr Costello, the federal treasurer under Liberal prime minister John Howard, gave a crowd of 700 people at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in Sydney on Tuesday his assessment of Mr Andrews’ Labor government during Covid-19.

It was Mr Costello’s first major public appearance since he was involved in an altercation with a reporter, then resigned as chairman of Nine in June.

He said the Andrews government had failed “every test of prudent budget management” and that Daniel Andrews had led the most incompetent government in the nation.

“What I can’t understand is why governments that fail their core responsibilities should be allowed to expand its privilege,” he said.

“The most incompetent government in Australia comes to mind, after failing every test of prudent budget management, the Victorian government decided it would embark on treaty negotiations and joined China’s One Belt One Road Initiative.

“These are federal issues … nothing more than rank posturing.”

The former treasure told the crowd Mr Andrew’s government was “moronic” for the restrictions his government placed on Victorians during the pandemic.

He said the Andrews government had closed playgrounds in Melbourne and chained swings and slides to stop children from using them during Covid.

“Children weren’t dying from Covid, and they wouldn’t die by using swings or slides,” he said.

“This moronic government even decided to institute a (curfew) … you’re not going to catch Covid driving alone in your car after 9pm.”

Mr Costello said it was scary and concerning how freely people gave up their rights during the pandemic.

“Our leaders got a taste for control,” he said.

“We saw that liberties could be taken away very easily.”

Mr Andrews resigned as premier of Victoria in September 2023, after nearly nine years in the office.