Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is likely to face a leadership spill on Tuesday, as multiple members of the Labor Party have reportedly lost confidence in her leadership. The calls for her to step down come ahead of the state election scheduled for late November.
According to reports citing sources within the party, several Labor MPs contacted Allan on Sunday night to inform her of the loss of majority support within the party's ranks. Tensions have been escalating since February, reportedly reaching a point where a leadership contest is now anticipated at a caucus meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Allan was reportedly at her home in Bendigo when she received the news.
Sources attending the national Labor event in Adelaide over the weekend indicated that multiple meetings were held concerning Allan's leadership. A significant point of contention has been her administration's handling of corruption allegations involving unions associated with the state's 'Big Build' projects. This controversy, coupled with voter dissatisfaction, has seen the Liberal and One Nation parties gain ground in recent polls.
Recent polling published in The Herald Sun suggests that Victorian Labor has fallen behind the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis, with the Opposition leading 56% to Labor's 44%. Labor's primary vote also reportedly trails behind One Nation's, with support for Labor at 23%, the Coalition at 29%, and One Nation at 24%.
Insiders claim that Allan's performance was unfavorably compared to other Labor premiers, such as New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, during the national conference. Some within the party expressed frustration and concern that a significant defeat in Victoria could impact federal Labor's standing.
Allan is scheduled to present a proposal for a commission into organized crime to the cabinet on Monday, a move some critics suggest is a final attempt to reset the agenda and regain public support.
It is understood that approximately three-quarters of the 69-member Labor caucus may call for Allan's resignation. One potential scenario involves Deputy Premier Ben Carroll announcing his candidacy for leadership. This plan could include Carroll announcing his bid on Monday or Tuesday morning, concurrently with a proposed royal commission into union corruption within the 'Big Build' project, aiming to distinguish himself from Allan's approach.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny stated that Allan has her "full support" but was unable to guarantee that Allan would lead the party into the November election. Kilkenny dismissed the reports as "idle gossip" that is detrimental to Victorians.
