Ex Aussie Leader Seen Rubbing Shoulders With Putin And Kim Jong-un

Daniel Andrews Sparks Fury as He’s Spotted Smiling with Notorious Dictators at China’s Military Parade

• Ex-Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews sparks outrage as he attends China’s military parade, rubbing shoulders with Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin
• Andrews posed for a photo with the notorious leaders, sparking criticism from the opposition and raising questions about his presence at the event
• The former Labor premier’s attendance at the parade has been labelled a “parade for dictators” by the shadow home affairs spokesperson, Andrew Hastie

Daniel Andrews, the former Victorian Labor premier, has sparked fury after he was spotted attending China’s military parade, where he posed for a photo with notorious dictators Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin. The opposition has slammed Andrews’ attendance at the event, labelling it a “parade for dictators” and questioning his judgement.

The shocking image, distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, shows Andrews standing several rows behind the North Korean leader, with Putin to Chinese president Xi Jinping‘s right, and Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan, in between. The leaders of Iran, Indonesia, and a number of other countries are also present in the group photo.

The event, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, has been used by China to show off its military might, with displays of drone technology, laser weapons, stealth fighters, advanced precision warfare equipment, helicopters, and armoured vehicles.

Andrew Hastie, the shadow home affairs spokesperson, slammed Andrews’ attendance at the parade, saying it was a “celebration of the Chinese Communist party”. Opposition leader Sussan Ley also weighed in, calling on Andrews to explain his presence at the event and what it says about Australia’s values.

However, Jacinta Allan, the current Victorian premier, defended Andrews’ attendance, saying it was good for the state that he was “held in such high regard by the people of China”. Allan added that Victoria was an “old friend of China” and that these connections were “so valuable for our state”.

Annastacia Palaszczuk, the former Queensland Labor premier, took a different stance, telling Sky News that Andrews’ visit was a “bridge too far”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked about Andrews’ attendance at the parade, but seemed to downplay the issue, saying only that Australia would be represented by a diplomat.

The controversy has sparked a heated debate about Australia’s relationship with China and the role of former politicians in international diplomacy. Dr Jill Sheppard, from Australian National University’s school of politics and international relations, said that from a domestic politics perspective, it was a good outcome for Labor to have Andrews as a “proxy representative” at the event.