Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allan is expected to face a leadership challenge when parliament resumes this week, but has vowed to contest any ballot after factional conveners reportedly agreed she had lost majority caucus support.
Key facts
- Factional conveners from Labor's left and right met on Sunday night to assess Jacinta Allan's support.
- The group is understood to have agreed she no longer had the backing of a majority of the caucus.
- Allan is expected to face a leadership challenge when state parliament resumes this week.
- Allan says she intends to contest any leadership ballot, according to the Guardian.
- The move comes just four months before a Victorian state election.
Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allan is expected to face a leadership challenge when state parliament resumes this week, according to the Guardian, though supporters insist she is “not going anywhere”.
Factional conveners from Labor’s left and right met on Sunday night to discuss whether Allan still had the support of a majority of the caucus. It is understood the group agreed she did not.
The timing is significant, with the meeting and expected challenge coming just four months out from a Victorian state election.
Allan has responded by throwing down the gauntlet to Labor powerbrokers, vowing to fight any attempt to oust her as leader. The Guardian reports she has said she intends to contest any ballot amid a push for her to stand down before parliament resumes.
Sources cited by the Guardian say a delegation of ministers have urged the premier to stand down. One minister described the leaking of the Sunday night meeting as an attempt to build momentum for a spill, while maintaining that the premier is “not going anywhere”.
The situation sets up a potential confrontation within Victorian Labor as parliament returns, with Allan signalling she will not step aside voluntarily and instead face down any challenger in a ballot.
Why it matters
A leadership contest just four months before a state election could reshape Victorian Labor's campaign and its prospects at the ballot box. The outcome will determine who leads the state government into the election and how the party manages internal factional divisions in public.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jacinta Allan stepping down as Victorian premier?
No. Allan has vowed to fight any attempt to oust her and says she intends to contest any leadership ballot, despite a reported push from a delegation of ministers for her to stand down.
Why is Jacinta Allan facing a leadership challenge?
Factional conveners from Labor's left and right met on Sunday night and are understood to have agreed that Allan no longer held the support of a majority of the caucus.
When could the leadership challenge happen?
The challenge is expected when Victorian state parliament resumes this week, according to the Guardian.