Daniel Andrews spent 120 consecutive days holding press conferences. The Premier spent a combined total of 125 hours and nine minutes answering questions in the main about restrictions, contact tracing, mask wearing and hotel quarantine.
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To the party faithful, as the hours accumulated, they represented hours of strength, opportunities to control the narrative and to present the second wave in the best possible light.
The Labor Party even celebrated his 100th day press conference, conveniently or concerningly forgetting why the Premier elected to hold 100 consecutive press conferences in the first place.
But consider what other tasks the 125 hours could have been applied to. We heard throughout the 112-day lockdown that it was "the only way". Imagine if only half of those hours were spent investigating alternatives to the brutal lockdown that has affected so many Victorians so badly.
Would the singles travel bubble have been so long in the making or had so many limitations placed on it had the Premier listened to those suffering so?
Understanding between 1,000-1,200 people per day were losing their jobs. Imagine if the Premier had spent 40 hours talking to small business owners or, to the associations who support them, to find other ways forward that didn't result in financial and emotional heartache.
Or perhaps the Premier could have spent 20 hours talking to those of various faiths about their COVID safe plans, instead of assuming that they were unable to practice their respective faiths safely, further contributing to the mental health toll on the Victorian community.
And how about those in hospitality. Could they have benefited from 40 hours of dedicated Premier time, to try to salvage an industry that fears a substantial percentage of their group will no longer be in existence this time next year?
Or what about in his own government? The Premier could have spent his hours ensuring the contact tracing system was better than 'gold standard', that the QR code system adopted by NSW could be implemented Victoria-wide providing some confidence that a third wave is a decreasing possibility.
There were many questions that the Premier answered during his 120 day run, but never the most basic one. How did his incompetent management leave Victorians so woefully equipped to manage the basics that other states mastered so easily?
David Hodgett is the Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events
