A federal Liberal MP has trashed plans to build a statue of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, suggesting it could become a ‘public urinal’.
Andrews is set to be immortalised in bronze under rules introduced by former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett for having served more than 3,000 days in office.
The statue, designated to sit alongside those of other long-serving Victorian premiers outside government offices near Treasury Gardens, is expected to cost state taxpayers more than $134,000.
Federal shadow treasurer Tim Wilson on Friday issued the latest, and arguably most colourful, call by a public official to scrap the monument.
‘I don’t think Dan Andrews should want this statue, frankly, because I think it’s a serious risk of becoming a public urinal,’ the Melbourne-based MP told Nine’s Sunrise.
‘We have Ben Carroll, the new premier, out there saying that he’s cutting back on major public projects because the state can’t afford it.
‘The first minor public project that should be cut should be Dan Andrews’ statue.’
A Freshwater Strategy poll, published by the Herald Sun on Thursday, indicated the vast majority of more than 1000 Victorians surveyed opposed plans for the statue.
A bronze statue of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) is in the works
It would be installed at Treasury Place alongside statues of other long-serving Victorian premiers, such as the figure of Sir Rupert Hamer (pictured)
Federal shadow treasurer Tim Wilson warned the statue could be a ‘public urinal’
Almost three-quarters of Victorians, 74 per cent, did not want the plans to proceed, while 19 per cent were in favour of the project going ahead at taxpayers’ expense.
More than two-thirds, 68 per cent, opposed the monument altogether, while about 15 per cent said they supported it.
Carroll, who declared ‘I am not Daniel Andrews’ in his first media appearance as premier, recently refused to be drawn on whether the Labor government would proceed with the statue.
‘That is not a priority of mine,’ he told reporters on July 29.
Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has previously committed to abandoning the statue if the coalition wins government at the November state election.
Andrews, who resigned in September 2024 and was replaced by his deputy Jacinta Allan, garnered unwavering loyalty from some and derision from others during his nine years in the top job.
He won three consecutive state elections and came to national prominence when he oversaw one of the world’s longest Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Most recently, he was the subject of a long-awaited inquiry into allegations of corruption concerning his government’s dealings with the Victorian firefighters’ union.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission’s Operation Richmond report stopped short of making findings of corrupt behaviour by Mr Andrews and other officials.
However, it found Mr Andrews and senior members of his government engaged in ‘serious and concerning conduct’.
