Jeff Kennett has rubbished claims he’s playing politics with lives by quitting Daniel Andrews’s major drug trial in the fallout of the red shirt rorts.

Instead, he told Neil Mitchell it’s a one-man stand against the deterioration of political standards.

The former premier was appointed to oversee Melbourne’s safe injecting room trial, but he’s quit furious over the misuse of taxpayer funds.

“It’s just one man’s expression of that concern,” he said, saying he felt conflicted sitting on the committee.

“Someone somewhere … is actually going to stand up and say we’ve had enough of this sort of stuff.”

MPs, including Mr Andrews, say Jeff Kennett is playing politics.

“They’re playing the politics, that’s fine, I understand that. But my decision was not political,” he said.

“I didn’t take (the position) because it was a political decision, I took it because I thought it was the right thing to do.

“I leave it because I thought it was the right thing to do.”

Click PLAY for full interview

Neil Mitchell: Ok, now that you’ve got spare time, will you step in and save cricket?

Kennett: No.

Mitchell: What about the Paddle Pop lion?

Kennett: Ah. Now THAT’S an important issue. Yes.

— 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) March 27, 2018