Jacinta Allan has stepped down as Victoria’s premier after a rapid and very public collapse in support within her own party, ending her leadership early just months out from a state election.
The decision came on Tuesday morning, ahead of a leadership spill she was widely expected to lose. Speaking to media, Allan confirmed she would not contest the challenge, saying: “After speaking with my colleagues overnight, I have made the difficult decision to step aside as leader of the Victorian state parliamentary Labor party, and as premier of Victoria.”
Ben Carroll aka her deputy will take over as the premier of Victoria.
The Age reported that Carroll had been elected unanimously and Gabrielle Williams would be deputy premier.
Allan made clear the call wasn’t about conceding defeat in a ballot, but about avoiding a drawn-out internal fight so close to polling day.
“I was prepared to put my record and my plan to a ballot of members as our rules allow. I believe I would have won,” she said.
“But doing so this close to an election takes up valuable resources, including the most precious one, time,” she added.
“I am making this decision because it’s the right thing by the Labor party, and by the Victorian people.”
This honestly moved very quickly. Just a day earlier, Allan had indicated she was willing to contest a leadership vote. But behind the scenes, support had seemingly been slipping. Several ministers had already told her they no longer backed her leadership, and momentum had been building around Carroll as an alternative.
Things really amped up when a leadership challenge from Carroll was issued, when he confirmed he would nominate after being approached by colleagues. At the same time, senior MPs were openly signalling the need for change. Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio remained loyal, but others were more direct. Environment Minister Enver Erdogan said there was a “case for change”, while Colin Brooks told reporters he would be “voting for integrity in the Labor party and a royal commission”.
Which brings us to one of the deeper issues that has followed Allan throughout her time in the top job — the ongoing fallout from alleged corruption linked to the state’s Big Build infrastructure program. That’s the massive public works push that was meant to modernise Victoria, but instead became tangled up in corruption allegations, union pressure and enough political drama to keep Labor in a permanent stress response.
Allan, who previously oversaw the transport portfolio, has apologised for criminal conduct uncovered in the sector but resisted calls for a royal commission. That position increasingly put her at odds with colleagues who believed stronger action was needed, particularly as the issue refused to fade from public debate.
At the same time, Labor has been facing broader political pressure. Polling has been soft, Allan’s personal approval ratings have been weak and the (misogynistic) “ditch the witch” signs from this year have not been helping. There has also been growing concern about the rise of minor parties, including One Nation, heading into the November election.
All of that fed into a sense within caucus that the party needed a reset ASAP and a contested leadership ballot would have complicated that. Under Labor rules, it can take up to six weeks and involves both MPs and rank-and-file members. Allan acknowledged that process would have created instability at the worst possible time, saying it would leave the state in “a position of uncertainty”, leading to her decision to step aside immediately and back a transition.
“I will shortly chair a caucus meeting to elect a new leader. Should Ben Carroll emerge as our next Labor leader and Labor premier, he will have my congratulations and unqualified support,” she said.
Allan, who became premier in 2023 after Daniel Andrews’ resignation, also used her final remarks to reflect on her time in politics and encourage more women to enter public life.
“Please don’t look at what I have experienced this week and think, ‘Stuff that. I don’t want to be involved’,” she said. “Look at the support I’ve experienced over my career, and think, ‘I can make a difference here too.’”
I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether Carroll can steady Labor quickly enough to go into the election with calmer footing.
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