Anthony Albanese backs ‘divided’ Labor and new Premier Ben Carroll to claw back voter support in Victoria

The Prime Minister praised Jacinta Allan’s legacy, minutes after a chaotic meeting of Labor MPs officially deposed her as Victoria’s Premier only four months out from an election.

Ms Allan resigned on Tuesday morning, but didn’t go quietly as she backed a challenger against deputy Ben Carroll’s leadership bid before he was eventually endorsed without a ballot and able to promise a “new direction” for the 11-year-old Labor Government.

In Karratha in WA’s north, Anthony Albanese praised them both.

“Jacinta Allan is someone who I think is a very decent human being,” Mr Albanese said.

“Someone who’s motivated by her passionate belief in the lifestyle . . . education, health, transport of Victorians, and delivering for Victorians. She’s someone who can be proud, I think, of her achievements over a long period of time.”

Ms Allan had been under pressure for months over Victoria’s net debt of $175 billion and the $100b cost of the Big Build road and rail program.

Mr Carroll immediately promised to appoint a special prosecutor and launch a royal commission into claims of union corruption, bribes and bikie infiltration of the CFMEU.

“Let me make one thing very clear: I am not Daniel Andrews. I am not Jacinta Allan,” he said.

The former KMart checkout worker, lawyer and political advisor had been Victoria’s Education Minister since 2023, and was previously Minister for Public Transport.

Mr Albanese rejected concerns the leadership switch was too late to save Labor from a potential demolition in November’s State election.

“It is very clear that Victorians will have an option in their election in November,” the Prime Minister said.

“They can choose a Labor government that has built new hospitals, that’s built new schools, that’s built the Melbourne Metro . . . or they can choose a chaotic coalition of the Liberal Party, One Nation, and the National Party.”

On the same day Victoria got a new Labor Premier, the Liberals lost an MP with Moira Deeming quitting the party to sit as an Independent 10 days after she was disendorsed over disproved claims she was assaulted by Liberal colleague Matthew Guy.

Liberal attack ads quickly branded the Victorian Government “divided, dishonest, distracted”.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson used Mr Carroll’s first Question Time as Premier to target his pledge of loyalty a month ago, when he declared he was proud to tell his young daughter he backed Ms Allan.

“When will the Premier look Victorians in the eye and apologise for deceiving his daughter and demonstrating he lacks the necessary integrity to govern Victoria?” Ms Wilson asked.

He replied: “Circumstances had changed.”