ABC Radio Melbourne presented Virginia Trioli’s brutal dig at Daniel Andrews – as she berated the Victorian Prime Minister as ‘the other politician’ for refusing to come on her show

ABC presenter Virginia Trioli has lashed out at Daniel Andrews after the Victorian premier again refused to perform on her show on Radio Melbourne.

The radio presenter labeled Mr Andrews as ‘the other politician’ and suggested he had deliberately evaded invitations to appear on her program for more than 10 months.

Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto was on her show last Friday for his monthly interview, but Trioli made it clear how unhappy she was at Absence of Mr. Andrews.

“The prime minister of the state is welcome to come at any time. He is refusing at the moment,” Trioli said before interviewing Pesutto.

“So I just don’t want to be unfairly seen as one politician getting a higher platform than the other.

The other politician, the prime minister of the state, rejected that platform. But to repeat the invitation, Mr. Prime Minister, you are always welcome here.’

The long-running battle between the radio host and the Victorian premier dates back at least 10 months, but even then there were serious tensions between the pair.

During their last meeting in October 2022, a month before the state election, Trioli gave him a direct verbal lash and overstepped the agreed boundaries of the interview.

“Look, Prime Minister, you have asked not to be asked about policy or politics today, you say, out of respect for those affected by the floods,” she said.

“But it’s been, I just checked, almost a year since you were last in this studio or on this show for an interview.

“Can you assure the audience that you’ll be back here in a few weeks for a proper in-depth interview?”

Despite many requests, Mr. Andrews has not been on Trioli’s show since.

She did everything she could on Friday to resolutely place the blame on the prime minister.

“In the interests of balance and fairness, as well as accountability, I would like to remind you that we regularly invite the Prime Minister to this program,” Trioli said.

We are regularly rejected. We invited him back to the program this morning. It took a while before there was any response at all. But when we did, the answer was no.’

She suggested that a journalist of her position anywhere in the world could get regular interviews with the head of state.

“The offer is valid — the offer is permanent, as with any show like this, in any city or country like this,” Trioli said.

As her fury approached a festering fury over the latest no-show and what appears to be a boycott, Trioli (pictured) got personal and referred to Mr Andrews as ‘the other politician’

The ABC presenter then clarified what she sees as a key difference between the Prime Minister and Mr Pesutto, saying that the Liberal leader is ‘always happy to answer your calls’.

Trioli isn’t alone in finding it difficult to get Mr Andrews onto her program – the Prime Minister hasn’t appeared on Neil Mitchell’s 3AW show in six years.

Mr Andrews has not appeared on Mitchell’s 3AW breakfast show since 2017.

“The last interview was pretty aggressive. It was about Skyrail (elevated railway) and he conducted a survey of Skyrail before they built it,” Mitchell said in a statement. radio interview with Channel Nine’s Tony Jones last November.

“I said, ‘You’re going to build it’ and he said ‘Yes’ and I said, ‘Well then why the hell are you doing the damn study? “And that made him pretty grumpy.”

Jones asked about a rumor of a story that caused Mr. Andrews to tell Mitchell he would never talk to him again if the host told it on his show.

‘No, he didn’t say that. I did the story, which we won’t repeat because he may still want to sue.

“But I told the story and I called him to tell him I was going to do it,” Mitchell replied.

Radio presenter Neill Mitchell (pictured) has a longstanding feud with Prime Minister Daniel Andrews

He said there was another key story that led to his eventual suspension by the prime minister.

“I also called him to tell him, and I broadcast this, when during the election campaign (2014) he went to his father’s farm and his father was dying, and he took the bus there to see a movie to make of the father who left the farm.

“And I told him I thought it was wrong and I called him to tell him that,” he said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the ABC, Trioli and Mr Andrews for comment.