Former Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons has launched a blistering attack on Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and the state Labor government, accusing them of mismanaging Victoria and placing an ever-growing financial burden on residents.

Speaking in a video posted to social media from his home in Thailand, the flamboyant former paparazzo described the Allan government as “corrupt, chaotic, negligent and incompetent” while claiming Victorians were paying the price through higher taxes, mounting debt and declining public services.

Lyons, who served as Geelong’s directly elected mayor before being dismissed alongside the entire council in 2016 following a Victorian Government commission of inquiry into widespread dysfunction and bullying allegations, said he felt sorry for people still living in the state.

“For you poor old Victorians … absolute shocking coward Jacinta Allan and her complete and utter imbeciles,” Lyons said in the video.

He continued by arguing that ordinary Victorians had been hit by a combination of taxes and rising costs.

“I really, really, really do feel sorry being a former Victorian, for people that are still living in that state being absolutely raped on tax, land tax, excise. Poor small businesses, CFA, volunteer services, you name it, potholes, she’s f****d it up in a horrendous way.”

Lyons also criticised former premier Daniel Andrews, arguing many of Victoria’s current challenges began during his administration.

“Not to mention Dan started it and did horrendous damage to not only my city of Greater Geelong but also the rest of the state of Victoria.”

He went on to describe Labor’s extended period in government as “corrupt, chaotic and actually grossly negligent and incompetent”, before claiming Victorians had been “taxed, squeezed and financially pillaged by a political machine that seems to have forgotten who it works for.” These remarks represent Lyons’ personal opinions.

The outspoken businessman concluded his remarks by saying viewers did not have to agree with him, describing his comments as simply his own perspective.

“That’s Mr Paparazzi’s world. You don’t have to agree with me. That’s democracy.”

Lyons has remained a colourful and often controversial public figure since leaving office. Known internationally for his career as a celebrity photographer and his trademark brightly coloured mohawk hairstyle, he entered politics in 2013 after winning Geelong’s first directly elected mayoral election.

His mayoralty lasted about two-and-a-half years before the Victorian Government dismissed the entire Geelong council in April 2016 after an independent inquiry found widespread bullying, abusive behaviour and governance failures across the organisation. Lyons denied many criticisms at the time and has continued to argue he was treated unfairly.

Since leaving politics, Lyons has continued to share his views through social media while pursuing business ventures and international travel. After the collapse of his company Big Australia in 2023 and the closure of his long-running Geelong nightclub in 2024, he announced plans to become a full-time world traveller. He is currently based in Thailand and regularly posts commentary on Australian politics.

His latest comments come at a politically sensitive time for the Allan government.

Victoria continues to face significant fiscal pressures following years of major infrastructure spending, with debate continuing over the state’s debt levels, taxation settings and the cost of large transport projects. The government has defended its investment program as necessary to deliver long-term economic growth, jobs and improved public transport.

The Allan government has also been under sustained political pressure over allegations of criminal infiltration within parts of Victoria’s Big Build construction program. Premier Allan has acknowledged that organised criminals infiltrated some projects and apologised to Victorians, while rejecting calls for a royal commission, arguing reforms rather than another inquiry are needed to strengthen oversight.

At the same time, Labor has defended its economic record by pointing to record infrastructure investment, employment growth and ongoing spending on health, education and transport. Ministers have argued that many of Victoria’s financial challenges reflect global inflation, population growth and the cost of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than government mismanagement alone.

Opposition parties, meanwhile, have increasingly focused on Victoria’s debt, taxation levels, cost-of-living pressures and governance issues as key election issues ahead of the next state poll.

Lyons’ latest intervention reflects those broader political arguments but also carries the unmistakable style that has defined his public career for decades. Whether appearing as an international celebrity photographer, Geelong’s unconventional “Mohawk Mayor” or an outspoken commentator from overseas, he has rarely shied away from provocative language or controversial opinions.

While his comments have attracted attention online, they remain his personal political views. The Victorian Government has not publicly responded to Lyons’ latest remarks, and many of the allegations he levelled—including descriptions of the government as “corrupt” or “incompetent”—are political opinions rather than established findings.

Nevertheless, the exchange illustrates the increasingly heated political climate in Victoria, where debates over taxation, government spending, infrastructure projects, integrity and the cost of living continue to dominate public discussion as the state moves closer to another election.