The “Ditch the Witch” campaign is back, now directed at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, and faithfully reported in the media with clear delight almost leaping from the pages and screens, writes managing editor Michelle Pini.
WHO is Australia’s most hated premier?
Well, for the better part of a decade, the legacy media told us it was Victoria’s Labor Premier Dan Andrews. Andrews certainly did not try to appease the media and his ability to (publicly at least) not seem to give a shit, regardless of what they threw at him, really got up the nose of the Murdochracy.
However, despite the relentless attacks and almost daily media reports claiming everyone hated him, he nonetheless comfortably won government three times, each time with an increased majority, and then left politics of his own volition. How disrespectful to our rabid media throng!
About the same time the hate campaign was in full swing in Victoria, Gladys Berejiklian, although a woman and thus not usually favoured, seemed to have the media eating out of her hands in NSW — even managing to be lauded as 'The woman who saved Australia'.
That accolade, of course, couldn’t be further from reality, since, though Berejiklian mirrored Andrews’ COVID policies but was not vilified for them, she was embroiled in a major corruption scandal, to which her media groupies turned a blind eye at the time.
Berejiklian did not face criminal prosecution, however, despite the NSW ICAC finding she engaged in 'serious corrupt conduct'. Of course, she was a Liberal, so you know, on the "Right" side of the media.
Fast-forward to 2026, and Jacinta Allan, the hapless Andrews successor, has also been referred to the Victorian anti-corruption watchdog. It remains to be seen whether Allan has a case to answer – that’s why we have an IBAC – and if Allan is found guilty of anything untoward, then she should face the consequences, of course.
Dan Andrews had also been referred to IBAC and was cleared of any wrongdoing in multiple inquiries, which, despite the media frenzy, still did not appear to affect his popularity.
But in Allan’s case, well, Labor, a woman and now allegations of corruption? It’s the media’s favourite trifecta. Media reports about a shady boyfriend of Julia Gillard’s while in her 20s never went away — even three decades later.
There are also several key differences between Berejiklian and Allan. The first is the fact that, although obviously both are women, the latter is the Leader of the Labor Party — this means Allan can never be exalted as saving anything, let alone the country.
Indeed, even 14 years on from Gillard’s famed misogyny speech, the “Ditch the Witch” campaign is back, now directed at Allan, and faithfully reported in the media with clear delight almost leaping from the pages and screens. The fact that she is Labor and also a woman means this Victorian Premier is persona non grata. Throw in the fact that she was also Andrews' Deputy, but minus the swagger, and well, even if Allan was the best darn premier ever in history, it would not help.
Almost every news report about Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan begins with "Embattled Labor Premier”, or similar. Some of the stories actually relate to the Victorian Premier; others simply involve the state of Victoria.
For example, a media report about any random crime does not commence with “A man was arrested in Melbourne today on motor vehicle theft/drug/assault offences”. If it happens in Melbourne – or anywhere in the Garden State – the report will likely commence with “The embattled Allan Government is under further pressure as the crime rate continues to rise, with a man arrested in Melbourne today on motor vehicle theft/drug/assault offences”.
When the Victorian Government responds to increased interest rates and the escalating cost of living by introducing positive relief measures, such as free transport, vehicle registration rebates or utility concessions, the media responds with headlines like the following:
‘Jacinta Allan has a strange plan to reduce debt. It involves spending even more’
Or:
‘Labor’s creative accounting doesn’t alter Victoria’s fiscal trajectory’
It's also true that after many years of neglect by the previous Coalition Government, this Labor Government has "got shit done". Some initiatives and reforms include train stations, regional hospitals, increased nursing ratios, the removal of 91 dangerous level crossings, 121 new public schools, subsidised TAFE programs and legislating for work at home rights.
And how are these achievements reported?
'The price of ‘getting sh-t done’: Victoria’s debt blowout'
And speaking of debt, not a day goes by without Victorians being told Victoria is broke and that we are worse off than any other state or territory. But is this even accurate?
Here are four state/territory examples:
- New South Wales' gross debt is approximately $199.7 billion, $23,221 per capita.
- Victoria's gross debt is approximately $188 billion, $26,404 per capita — which is higher than that of New South Wales.
- Queensland's gross debt is approximately $163 billion, $28,298 per capita — which appears higher than both of those states to us.
However, the winner is ... drumroll...
...The Northern Territory, with a staggering gross debt of $16.36 billion, $61,735per capita — the highest in Australia! Take a bow, Chief Minister and Leader of the Country Liberal Party, Lia Finocchiaro.
As the media establishment never lets the facts get in the way of a good story, however, chances are, you would not have heard of Finocchiaro's dubious achievement,
Meanwhile, back in Victoria, pretty much all news reports about anything affecting that state in any way whatsoever will also end with, ”Premier Allan continues to field criticism over her response to crime/cost of living pressures/debt/cancer/the weather”.
Our favourite and perhaps most idiotic instance of anger being directed at Allan involves one of the Victorian Liberal Opposition's previous leaders (there have been several while Labor has been in power).
In a bizarre new twist to the ongoing destabilisation of the Libs by one of their own, now-Independent Victorian MP Moira Deeming recently tried to have another Victorian Liberal leader, Matthew Guy, charged with assault. Deeming had previously been expelled by yet another Victorian Liberal leader, John Pesutto. Pesutto was successfully sued by Deeming for defamation, and he subsequently faced bankruptcy and lost the leadership.
On this occasion, however, Victoria Police found Guy had no case to answer in the now-famous "headlock" incident. Nonetheless, Deeming refused to apologise.
Deeming has also since launched further legal proceedings against the Victorian Liberal Party and its president, Brian Loughnane, to remain as a Liberal candidate at this year’s state election.
But that's not all, because guess who is ultimately responsible for all of that, on the planet that only the Liberals and their media fan club inhabit? You guessed it! Matthew Guy has demanded an apology from Premier Jacinta Allan. Oh, and he would also like one from Attorney-General Sonja Kilkenny. You really couldn't make this stuff up.
Interestingly, the Liberal Party, which was practically obliterated at the last Victorian State Election, also have a woman at the helm, novice Jess Wilson — for now, at least. Wilson's willingness to cosy up to One Nation has had a mixed reaction within her party, as has her prior support of Moira Deeming.
With Deeming’s apparent commitment to keep fighting against her previous party, on top of ongoing factional warfare that makes even Federal Labor’s 1955 DLP days – when the Labor Party split in two, effectively ensuring political oblivion for 17 years – look insignificant, it’s impossible to estimate how long Wilson will remain.
Then there’s Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (PHON), which the media throng keep pushing down our throats. Victoria’s representative is Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, One Nation’s first-ever representative in the Parliament of Victoria. Tyrell was apparently inspired to join the PHONies during a 'light switch moment'.
As one commenter wrote on social media:
'Jacinta Allan stands between the Far-Right and political power.'
This editorial was originally published as part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter. Subscribe to IA to access all our work from as little as $1.15 per week and help power our journalism throughout 2026.
Follow managing editor Michelle Pini on Twitter @vmp9 and Bluesky @michellepini.bsky.social, and Independent Australia on Twitter at @independentaus, Facebook HERE and Instagram HERE.
