Footy legend Sam Newman has unleashed a scathing rant after former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews was listed on the King's Birthday honour.
Mr Andrews was given the nation's highest honour and was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) on Monday along with six other eminent Australians.
As the longest serving Labor premier in the state's history, Mr Andrews was recognised for his 'eminent service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, to public health, to policy and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development'.
The award has sparked outrage after Mr Andrews became increasingly unpopular for enforcing the harshest restrictions in the country during the Covid pandemic with the hardline approach earning him the nickname 'Dictator Dan'.
Newman continued the pile-on against Mr Andrews on Thursday as it emerged it will be impossible to strip Mr Andrews of the honour despite increasing calls from around the country.
Former premier Danial Andrews (pictured with his wife Catherine) was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for his 'eminent service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, to public health, to policy and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development'
Newman recorded himself aboard his boat Angst and shared the incendiary clip to Instagram with the caption: 'Why give an award to someone who is obviously unworthy?'
He took aim at the Companion of the Order of Australia appointment and declared that AC stood for 'absolute crap'.
'If you want to know what AC stands for — this is Dan Andrews getting one — what it means (is) absolute crap,' Mr Newman said.
'Here's a government that tried to woo the electorate by going for the Commonwealth Games. Won the election and then cancelled the games.
'Say no more. How would you give anyone an award for that? You cannot be serious!'
Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh launched a petition on Wednesday urging the Governor-General David Hurley to strip Mr Andrews of the honour.
Mr Walsh claimed the award was 'inappropriate and unjustified' and that the former premier, who earned the moniker 'Dictator Dan' had failed Victorians with how he handled the pandemic.
Former Liberal Victoria premier Jeff Kennett also weighed into the furore as he called on Council for the Order of Australia chair Shelly Reys to explain why Mr Andrews received the honour.
'To my knowledge not only has Mr Andrews not done any eminent community service, but he has also abjectly failed any objective test on the matters for which he received the recognition,' Mr Kennett wrote this week.
Mr Kennett also claimed Victorians would pay 'heavily, for decades' because of Mr Andrews 'failures.'
Footy legend Sam Newman took aim at Mr Andrews being appointed with the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) and declared that AC stood for 'absolute crap'
Former United Australia Party MP Craig Kelly shared his thoughts on X alongside several of Mr Andrews' critics.
'At first I thought it was a bad joke, but both Dan Andrews and former WA Premier Mark McGowan have received an AC for 'Covid Leadership' in the King's Birthday Honours. They both should be jail serving time,' he said.
Commentator Neil Mitchell explained on Thursday the only way to strip Mr Andrews of the award would be if he was convicted of a crime or 'embarrassed the crown'.
'I don't think he should have got it but [stripping the award] won't happen,' he told Sunrise.
'You can only lose that honour if you are convicted of a crime or you were found to have brought the honour into disrepute, in other words embarrassed the crown.'
Mitchell added the award has only been removed from a person half a dozen times in history.
Former lord mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle has been stripped of his Order of Australia honour in 2023.
Doyle was given the award in 2017 for his work in local government and contribution to community organisations.
Governor-General Hurley revoked that appointment following a recommendation by the Council of the Order of Australia.
In 2018, Doyle resigned as lord mayor amid sexual harassment allegations but there was no criminal convictions.
The reasons for Doyle's award drop remain unknown, however, legislation states 'the Governor General may terminate an appointment, or cancel an award, if, in the opinion the Governor-General, the holder of the appointment or award has behaved or acted in a manner that has brought disrepute on the Order'.
Commentator Neil Mitchell (pictured) explained the only way to strip Mr Andrews of the award would be if he was convicted of a crime or 'embarrassed the crown'
