Daniel Andrews Photo: ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE
Daniel Andrews has resigned as the premier of Australian state Victoria after nine years in the role.
Andrews announced today that he would formally step down at 5pm tomorrow.
He said leading the state had been "the honour and privilege" of his life.
"It's not an easy job being the premier of our state - that's not a complaint, that's just a fact," he said.
"It requires 100 percent from you and your family. That is, of course, time limited and now is the time to step away."
The MP for Mulgrave, who has led Labor to three consecutive election victories since first forming government at the 2014 election, is among the state's longest-serving premiers.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced his resignation. Follow the reaction in our live blog.
Andrews paid tribute to his family at an afternoon press conference.
"To Cath, she is my best friend and none of this was remotely possible without her support, her guidance and her love.
"To Noah, Grace and Joseph, they know only politics. Dad has always done this.
"For all that this has meant, thank you, you are everything to me."
A successor is due to be chosen by his party at midday tomorrow, with Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan and Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll likely contenders.
Allan has already announced on social media that she will put herself forward as the party's next leader.
After winning last year's election, Andrews declared multiple times he would see out a fourth term as premier, and contest an election in 2026.
"It was true then and I've changed my mind," he said.
"And having explained to you in my statement ... I hope that you have a sense that when it's time, it's time."
Andrews said the role of premier had consumed him and over time that "takes a toll".
"To have been premier for nine years and the leader of my party for 13 years is a greater set of opportunities than I ever thought would be afforded to me, a kid from the country with only really an aspiration to do good, to work hard, to work with teams of people to perhaps make things better," he said.
PM praises Andrews's role during Covid pandemic
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Andrews as a "man of great conviction, enormous compassion and a fierce determination to make a difference".
"And he has made such a positive difference to the lives of Victorians," Albanese said.
"You can measure his contribution through nine years, three election victories - the last one with an increased majority.
"But what you can measure it on is the fact that he is a builder. He has built enormous infrastructure benefits for Victoria. He's rebuilt a health system - a passion of his from his time as health minister, and indeed, during the pandemic as well.
"He's rebuilt schools. And in the announcement that he's made, as well, last week, he's determined to deal with the challenges of housing."
Albanese said Andrews had never "shirked his responsibilities" and made reference to his role during the state's Covid experience.
"He stood up each and every day during the pandemic. He stood up for doing what he believed was absolutely right to keep Victorians safe - not making easy decisions, making difficult decisions," he said.
"And Daniel Andrews will be remembered for his contribution to Victoria."
Former Labor premier Steve Bracks, who served as a political mentor to Andrews, said the premier had picked "the right time" to depart.
"I wasn't surprised. I thought into the third term Daniel would probably take the next step and move on," Bracks told ABC News.
"He has served the state extremely well, and after a while this job gets to you.
"He's right when he says once you start thinking about life after politics, that's the time you've got to go. And that's what he's done."
Another former Labor premier, John Brumby, said Andrews was "very good at building consensus and support in the community".
"He won three elections convincingly and he increased his majority at each election so there must have been many things he was doing right," he said.
Opposition says Andrews leaves a 'broken' state
Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto acknowledged "the long period of service that Daniel Andrews has given to the Victorian Parliament and the Victorian people".
However, he said the premier's legacy would be defined by growing levels of state debt and multiple anti-corruption investigations.
"I do take this opportunity to wish Andrews well with his family in all that he does in the future," he said.
"But at a time like this it's also important to face the facts.
"The facts are that Premier Daniel Andrews is standing down today because things have fallen apart.
"We've seen it day after day, one crisis after another.
"The legacy that Daniel Andrews leaves is a state that is broken. Victorian is broken - we know it, we see the evidence of it every day."
Former Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett said Andrews's legacy would be determined by the state in which he left the community.
"He was so much in control, he didn't use the traditional media, he used social media, he controlled his party very strongly," he said.
"But the real test is not where you start, but where you finish and the state in which you leave the community.
"So Daniel's legacy won't be determined today or tomorrow it'll be determined over the next three or four years, or it might even be determined over the next 20 years."
- This story was first published by the ABC