Andrews Black Legacy: SecrecyProtection

In his 10 years in office as premier Andrews used every blocking tactic known to man to keep information from the public.

See report below regarding keeping secret mobile telephone call information.
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Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ phone records to be handed into court over near-fatal collision with teenage cyclist
TRICIA RIVERA
2 hours ago.
Updated 1 hours ago




Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has again refused to answer questions about a 2013 car crash involving him and his wife which left a teenager seriously injured.

Lawyers for former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews have agreed to hand in phone records from the day his family car hit and injured a teenage cyclist in 2013.

Ryan Meuleman was seriously injured in a crash involving the Andrews’ Ford Territory - driven by Catherine Andrews - on the Morning Peninsula on January 7, 2013 when he was 15-years-old.
The cyclist is suing Slater and Gordon, who initially acted for him after the incident, with his new legal team accusing the law firm of failing to both conduct a proper investigation into the crash and act in Mr Meuleman’s best interests when negotiating his $80,000 compensation payout.

Mr Andrews’ lawyer, Sebastian Campbell, and barrister James Catlin, acting for Mr Meuleman, appeared before Victorian Supreme Court associate justice Melissa Daly on Monday morning to contest costs associated with original and amended subpoenas ordering the former state Labor leader to submit his phone records.
An initial subpoena ordered Mr Andrews to hand in phone records spanning an 11-year period, however this was adjusted and limited to records from the day of the collision.

Less than three hours before a hearing in the Supreme Court scheduled for 10:30am, Mr Andrews’ lawyers agreed to release their client’s phone records.

An email from Mr Meuleman’s solicitor put the revised subpoena to Mr Andrews’ lawyers on June 15, which was then served on Friday.


Ryan Meuleman after his accident

Mr Catlin argued that the law firm representing the Andrews family did nothing to form a view on the subpoena and that he was only informed they would not contest the revised court order at 8:05am on Monday morning.

“(The subpoena was) reduced substantially from 11 years … Now it’s only one day. Why does it take 13 days to form a view that that’s all right and they aren’t going to contest it?” Mr Catlin told the court.
“I’ve been put out significantly in order to attend this objections hearing.”

Mr Campbell resisted the submission that no work had been done when the amended subpoena was submitted to him, and said that the former Labor premier and his wife did not object to the revised order.
He said it was appropriate for his clients to shoot down the initial request for the phone records and labelled the subpoena “oppressive”.


Catherine Andrews and former premier Daniel Andrews’ Ford territory car after the 2013 crash with cyclist Ryan Meuleman.

Associate justice Melissa Daly said correspondence between the parties seemed to be akin to “ships passing in the night”.
She ordered that costs associated with preparing for Monday’s hearing be paid by Andrews’ lawyers.
After the hearing, the cyclist’s father, Peter Meuleman, said he was “very happy” the day’s worth of phone records would be handed in.


Ryan Meuleman in hospital after being knocked down off his bike by a car in Blairgowrie

“We know that this is just one step in a long battle and we see this battle as being a battle of truth and justice against corruption and dishonesty,” he said.
“So it’s going to be a long road for us, but we’re up for the fight.”
He said that the Meuleman camp is gathering enough evidence so that “the truth (can) come out”.
“It’s taken its toll on Ryan and we’re trying to protect him as much as we can and we’re trying to get him through this as best as we can. We love him and we’re here to support him.”

The victim of a car accident in which Dan Andrews’ wife was involved was allegedly paid to keep quiet. Peter Meuleman and his son Ryan stand on the spot where Ryan was hit while riding his bike. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The Andrews family have maintained their story that the car was T-boned by Mr Meuleman’s bike, while the cyclist argues the car was speeding and “seemed to come out of nowhere”.
Mr Meuleman was struck 17m on from the Melbourne Road and Ridley Street intersection and suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs.

The former Labor premier, who was state opposition leader at the time of the 2013 incident, recently hired top lawyer Leon Zwier to fight a court order directing him to submit his phone records.




Mr Meuleman’s legal team are seeking to establish who Mr Andrews spoke to in the four minutes between the crash, which occurred at about 1:30pm and when emergency services were called to the scene.
The former Premier’s phone records must be handed in by July 24.