AARON PATRICK: ‘It’s a shemozzle’: Vic Labor narrowly avoids pre-election leadership limbo
AARON PATRICK: Ben Carroll took over as leader after a rival dropped out and immediately promised a “new direction” on integrity, on community safety and on the economy.
The Victorian Labor Party today narrowly avoided an internal election that would have left the government without a permanent leader for six to eight weeks — just four months before an election.
Two candidates, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll and Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny, were nominated for leader at a meeting of Labor MPs in Parliament this morning. The contest would have triggered the first vote of all party members in the state to choose the leader and premier.
Ms Kilkenny had the support of 15 MPs for her nomination, the minimum required, according to reports from the Melbourne-based media. Among her supporters was Premier Jacinta Allan, according to The Age, who announced her resignation at 9.30am today after being told she no longer had the party’s support.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Under Labor rules, leadership of the party switches to the deputy while a leadership ballot is conducted.
That would have left Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams as acting Labor leader, and presumably the interim premier, although she would not have the authority to make major changes before the election scheduled for November 28.
“It’s a shemozzle,” said Garth Head, a former chair of the party’s rules revision committee. “It’s never happened like this before. And politically destructive for the Labor party.”
After Mr Head spoke, and less than 30 minutes after Ms Kilkenny’s nomination was confirmed, she withdrew it. That left Mr Carroll as the only candidate, removing a need for the first membership ballot in the state party’s history.
Normally, Mr Carroll would approach Governor Margaret Gardner, who would appoint him premier. But Professor Gardner is overseas and it was left to Lieutenant-Governor James Angus to appoint him the state’s 50th premier.
In a video message on Instagram Mr Carroll asserted he had been “unanimously” elected the party’s leader by his colleagues. “Yesterday they asked me to put my hand up and I agreed,” he said. “This was not an easy decision but the stakes at this election are too high.
“Polling says Victoria is on track for Australia’s first Liberal-One Nation government ... that will cut schools, health and front-line services.”
He said the government needs a “new direction on integrity, on community safety and on the economy. As your premier I will deliver that new direction.”
In Parliament, the opposition seized upon the leadership to change to question the “constitutionality” of the Legislative Assembly.
“Speaker, it is not unreasonable for this house to understand who is the premier?” shadow attorney-general James Newbury said. “Who is the sworn in premier of Victoria? Who is the ministry of Victoria? And does this government have a majority in this chamber?”
