Former Victorian Premier Andrews Faces Criticism for Attending China, Russia, North Korea Military Parade

Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews faced significant criticism for attending China's largest-ever military parade in Beijing, an event also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The parade, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, was widely seen as a show of military might and a geopolitical challenge to the US and its allies. While Andrews remained for the full parade, former NSW premier Bob Carr, initially thought to be attending, clarified he only participated in indoor events and not the parade itself, describing it as a "Soviet-style" display. Australian political figures, including Opposition leader Sussan Ley and home affairs spokesperson Andrew Hastie, condemned Andrews' presence, calling it a "parade for dictators" and questioning the message it sent internationally. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese distanced the government from Andrews' attendance, noting Andrews was there in a personal capacity and emphasizing that Australia would be represented by a diplomat. The event's optics were controversial given that Australia's ambassador to China did not attend and some attendees had been sanctioned by the Australian government.