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- Clear run for deputy premier unclear
- Allan says she’ll let caucus ‘run its course’
- Good morning
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Clear run for deputy premier unclear
Jacinta Allan’s path to become Victoria’s next premier is under a cloud after a breakdown in negotiations between Labor’s left and right factions.
Following the resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews, state MPs were locked in meetings late on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning to determine the next leader.
Outgoing premier Daniel Andrews, left, and his deputy Jacinta Allan.Credit: Marija Ercegovac
Allan has already put her hand up for the role and the Socialist Left faction, which she is a member of, is likely to back her with their majority in the caucus.
This grouping met last night, while the right’s Labor Unity also held late-night discussions.
Sources involved in the conversations who could not speak publicly said early on Tuesday night it had appeared that the left was willing to accept right-aligned ministers as deputy premier.
Public transport Ben Carroll was the name floated most often, but Police Minister Anthony Carbines was also in contention.
If either get up, it would bring the party back to the traditional model where the leader’s deputy comes from an opposing faction – a practice that was broken when Allan assumed the deputy role under Andrews.
In return, a Socialist Left MP would likely be given a senior leadership role in parliament’s upper house.
But senior Labor sources told The Age these discussions broke down later in the evening as sections of the left began pushing to hold on to the deputy premier title.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas and Mental Health Minister Gabrielle Williams have been floated as possible contenders from this grouping.
A more unlikely option floated was Treasurer Tim Pallas, who is expected to be named as interim leader while the process is underway.
Labor’s right-aligned factions are now seriously considering nominating a challenger in response to these requests from the left.
They would have to elect their own candidate, with Carroll and Carbines the most likely candidates.
Doing so would force a ballot in which state MPs and Victorian Labor members have equal weighing, triggering a campaign within the party that could last weeks.
All Labor MPs, except a small group who are still on overseas holidays, are expected to attend parliament for a leadership meeting at noon today.
Nominations for leader would then need to be open for three business days, meaning the Grand Final holiday could push the process out to early next week.
Allan says she’ll let caucus ‘run its course’
Speaking of the woman most likely to become Victoria’s next premier, Jacinta Allan has now walked through the doors of state parliament where she refused to say who would be her deputy or whether a result will be known today.
Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan arrives at state parliament this morning. Credit: Joe Armao
Journalist: Do you think you have the support?
Allan: I’m going to respect my colleagues and let the usual caucus process run its course.
Journalist: Who will be your deputy?
Allan: Again, it’s a caucus process, and I’ll let it run its course.
Good morning
Good morning, and welcome to day two of our live coverage of Daniel Andrews’ resignation.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto was up bright and early this morning, insisting the Coalition remains competitive despite the outgoing premier being reelected last year with an increased majority.
“That was then, this is now,” Pesutto told ABC TV.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto during yesterday’s press conference. Then, as with today, he insisted Victoria is broke.Credit: Wayne Taylor
The Victorian Liberal leader insisted for the second straight day that Victoria is “falling apart” under Labor and that is part of the reason why Andrews resigned yesterday.
Halfway through the interview, there was this exchange between Pesutto and ABC presenter Michael Rowland:
Rowland: Can you say with a straight face you lead a united party at the moment?
Pesutto: Well, Michael, what I would say is I lead a party where we have a diversity of views just like the Labor Party, just the Greens, and every other party. They’re just natural incidents of being in politics. We had, actually, results from Warrandyte in the last month. When we work hard and focus we see a 10 per cent swing to us on primary.
As regular readers of this masthead will know, independent Liberal MP Moira Deeming has threatened to sue Pesutto for defamation after she was kicked out of the parliamentary party. And Labor did not contest the recent Warrandyte byelection in Melbourne’s northeast.
Victorian Labor MPs have been involved in late-night discussions and will meet today to decide whether deputy premier Jacinta Allan will get a clear run at becoming the state’s 49th premier.
Stay tuned.
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