Was a video of Daniel Andrews smoking the first sign the Victorian premier was about to resign?
An uncharacteristic video of Daniel Andrews puffing on a cigarette, days before he announced his resignation, may have been the telltale sign that the Prime Minister had had enough.
Andrews announced his resignation from Victoria’s top job during a brief press conference on Tuesday.
Andrews’ nine-year tenure in the role ends Wednesday at 5 p.m.
He said he made the difficult decision after recent conversations with his wife Catherine and their three children.
Last weekend, a video emerged of Mr Andrews smoking with another man outside an event in Victoria.
The video provided a rare glimpse of Mr Andrews – whose public appearances are typically staged – enjoying a candid moment.
The images follow a long week in which Mr Andrews introduced – and vigorously defended – his new ‘short stay tax’, due to start in 2025.
He had announced on Wednesday that his government would introduce a 7.5 percent consumer tax on all short-term accommodation bookings on platforms such as Airbnb and Stayz.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister exploded at a reporter who claimed the tax was far from the “modest” compensation Andrews claimed.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was seen smoking outside an event last week
“It’s a modest charge – I’ll say it a hundred times if you want, and we don’t agree on that, but it’s a modest charge,” Andrews said.
The fiery debate continued, with the reporter describing the fee as possibly the “straw that broke the camel’s back” for homeowners.
“I’ll leave the camels to you because there are a few lumps in your argument, mate,” Mr Andrews replied.
“Seriously, if you want to tell me that $7.50 per hundred dollars – and because it’s higher than what’s happening in Florence, New York or Auckland – Mom and Dad are worse off, that’s not right.
‘People need a place to live. Everyone needs a place to live.”
The Prime Minister has admitted the levy will not be popular with everyone, but expects the ‘modest’ levy to raise $70 million a year for the construction and maintenance of social housing.
Michael Crosby, head of public policy for Airbnb Australia and New Zealand, said the levy gave hotels a free pass and that an amount of three to five percent, in line with international standards, would have been more appropriate.