Victoria: A Case Study in Just How Fragile Democracies Can Be

Published on December 12, 2023

Commentary The report by the Victorian Ombudsman into the operation of the public service under former Premier Daniel Andrews is a devastating critique of the erosion of responsible government in the state. “Two sentiments stood out—concern and fear. “Concern at what people saw as the quickening erosion of longstanding Westminster principles of responsible government. Fear that if they spoke up, if they were anyway identifiable as having done so, their careers would be finished,” Ombudsman Deborah Glass reported. Fear was not confined to the state’s bureaucracy. It was corralled daily by the then-premier throughout COVID-19.  The daily media conferences with their grim warnings, the lockdowns, and the excessive police responses were all used to strike fear into Victorians....

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