Deputy tipped for new Vic premier as Andrews calls time
Cassandra Morgan |
Victoria could have its first female premier in more than three decades as Daniel Andrews heads for the door.
Mr Andrews will finish in the role at 5pm on Wednesday and relinquish his seat of Mulgrave, after announcing his decision to step down at a press conference on Tuesday.
The outgoing premier cited thoughts about life after the top job as his reason for leaving, hinting he could work in the private sector after taking time off.
“To be honest, I’ve spent a long time in the public sector … I think it highly unlikely that I’ll spend too much more time in the public sector after five o’clock tomorrow,” Mr Andrews told reporters.
“I’ve been privileged and honoured to be, in a way of speaking, a public servant for 21 years.”
Mr Andrews was flanked by his family as he made the announcement while members of cabinet, including presumed successor Jacinta Allan, also watched on.
The deputy premier has nominated herself for the top job ahead of a Labor caucus meeting at noon on Wednesday, while public transport minister Ben Carroll is also considered a possible contender.
If successful, it would make Ms Allan the state’s first female premier in more than 30 years since Joan Kirner stepped down in 1992.
Former federal opposition leader Bill Shorten said if the Bendigo East MP was successful she would ensure all Victorians were represented on Spring Street.
“She’s a very highly successful, accomplished woman leader in her own right,” Mr Shorten told ABC Radio National.
“She comes from the regions, she’s a very experienced politician.”
Monash University politics lecturer Blair Williams said the appointment of Ms Allan, the second woman to hold the deputy premier title in Victoria, could be considered part of the “glass cliff phenomenon”.
“This term has been coined to describe the frequency with which women are appointed to leadership positions during times of crisis or when there are higher risks of failure,” Dr Williams said.
“Allan will have to navigate a complex political landscape to fill the large Andrews-shaped gap in a third-term government.”
Ms Allan could also face sexism like other women who’ve taken up leadership roles in Australian politics, Dr Williams said.
Monash senior politics lecturer Zareh Ghazarian said Mr Andrews’ decision to step down could be a “circuit breaker” in Victoria after a long time of the Liberals being mired in internal divisions, unable to mount an effective campaign against Labor.
“With Andrews out of the way, the Liberal Party has a clear opportunity to reposition itself as an effective political force and reconnect with those who may have abandoned it during the Andrews premiership,” Dr Ghazarian said.
Mr Andrews became premier in November 2014, booting out a first-term Liberal government, and led Labor to two more victories in 2018 and last year.
During the 2022 election campaign and in the months after, Mr Andrews repeatedly said he would stay for the full four-year term.
His change of heart was a recent decision, he said.
AAP
