Andrews Unveils Jacinta Allan As Victoria’s New Deputy Premier After Mass Ministerial Exodus

The Victorian state government has unveiled new appointments to the frontbench following the exodus of four senior ministers on Friday.

After a Labor caucus vote on Saturday, Premier Daniel Andrews welcomed the appointment of Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan as deputy premier.

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“Jacinta is someone who came into the parliament in 1999, one of the very youngest MPs in the history of our Parliament, and right through her long career, she has been a champion for regional Victorians," the premier said.

Andrews said she “has made a such a huge contribution to building our state, to employing hundreds of thousands of Victorians to getting things down. That’s why, I think together with her work ethic and her character, that’s why her colleagues, all of them, have unanimously supported today”.

“She has big shoes to fill, of course,” he added.

Ms Allan will serve as the second female deputy in Victorian history.

Promoted to take on other ministerial roles in the new cabinet will be; Speaker Colin Brooks, along with right-wing MPs Lizzie Blandthorn and Steve Dimopoulos, and from the left, Harriet Shing and Sonya Kilkenny.

While Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards will become the new Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman will be tasked as Deputy Speaker.

On Friday, Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino, Health Minister Martin Foley, Police Minister Lisa Neville and Tourism Minister Martin Pakula announced they would not contest November's election, instead resigning from their portfolios.

It comes after Planning and Housing Minister Richard Wynne, announced his resignation last year.

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