The Labor MPs chasing promotions after Vic leadership spill

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll to reveal new cabinet after Jacinta Allan's resignation Sat 1 Aug 2026 at 7:08am In short: New Victorian Premier Ben Carroll is expected to announce his new ministry on Monday. What's next? Multiple Labor MPs are hoping to score a promotion after the resignation of Jacinta Allan and two senior Labor ministers following the leadership spill. Labor MPs are jostling for promotions before new Premier Ben Carroll's cabinet is chosen at a caucus meeting on Monday. Under Victoria's new leadership, fresh faces are expected to be elevated to cabinet to replace allies of former premier Jacinta Allan. The new leaders Premier Ben Carroll Read moreBen Carroll has represented the electorate of Niddrie, in Melbourne's north-west for more than a decade. He served as deputy to former premier Jacinta Allan for almost three years before stepping into the top job on Tuesday. Mr Carroll has been education minister since then, most recently dealing with protracted negotiations with Victoria's public school teachers. He was previously a lawyer and political advisor, including to former Victorian premier Steve Bracks. When he was younger, he worked at Kmart and the day after he was elected as premier held his press conference at a Kmart store. He is also the minister for WorkSafe, the TAC and medical research. Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams Read moreGabrielle Williams has represented the Dandenong electorate for more than a decade. A lawyer and advisor before entering parliament, Ms Williams is the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Public and Active Transport and Women and Girls. She moved to the role of deputy premier earlier this week. Ms Allan's allies Harriet Shing and Lily D'Ambrosio on Thursday announced they were resigning from the ministry and would exit parliament at the November election. Ms D'Ambrosio, who was long speculated to retire, was the last remaining minister from Daniel Andrews' first cabinet in 2014. Along with Jacinta Allan, she was also the last remaining Labor MP from the Bracks-Brumby government. While Ms Allan is yet to formally announce if she will re-contest her seat of Bendigo, her retirement from politics is widely expected. Who's leaving Jacinta Allan Read moreFor almost 27 years, Jacinta Allan has represented the Bendigo East electorate in Victorian Parliament. A career politician, she was elected in 1999 aged just 25 becoming Victoria's youngest ever female MP. She rose in the ranks under Daniel Andrews, gaining the transport infrastructure portfolio, and was elevated to deputy premier in 2022. Ms Allan took on the role of premier in Septemer 2023. Resigning from the top job earlier this week, she said she would spend more time with family and work to ensure Ben Carroll was re-elected as premier. Harriet Shing Read moreHarriet Shing has represented the Eastern Victoria region in the Legislative Council since 2014. She has most recently served as health minister and previously as minister for housing and the Suburban Rail Loop. She announced on Thursday she would not re-contest her seat at the November 2026 state election. Lily D'Ambrosio Read moreLily D'Ambrosio has been the local member for Mill Park for more than two decades. She was most recently minister for climate action, energy and resources and the State Electricity Commission. But on Thursday, she said she had informed the premier she would not recontest her seat at the upcoming election. She told the ABC her proudest achievement was overseeing the renewable energy transition in Victoria. Along with Ms Allan, she is the last remaining of the Labor MPs who served in the Bracks-Brumby government. It leaves Mr Carroll with three vacancies in his cabinet. All three exits are from the dominant Socialist Left faction, which will meet on Monday morning to debate replacements before a full caucus vote is held later that day. Under Labor Party rules, women must make up half the front bench. After this week's retirements, there are currently 11 women and eight men in cabinet. Mr Carroll will then divvy up portfolios in a reshuffle. Jostling for a promotion got underway almost immediately. Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson has been guaranteed a ministry in Ms Allan's place. Southern Metropolitan MP Ryan Batchelor was the favourite to take Ms Shing's cabinet position within the upper house, though Sheena Watt from Northern Metropolitan and North-Eastern Metropolitan MP Sonja Terpstra were also talking to colleagues. Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards, Footscray MP Katie Hall, Albert Park's Nina Taylor and Sunbury MP Josh Bull were drumming up support for the remaining cabinet vacancy in the lower house. These names could change, and MPs were expecting possible candidates to become clearer over the weekend. Possible entrants Tim Richardson Read moreMordialloc MP Tim Richardson was a government advisor before entering parliament more than a decade ago. He was recently promoted to cabinet secretary, and is now expected to be elevated to cabinet as part of a deal struck during Labor's chaotic leadership vote on Tuesday. Pauline Richards Read moreSince 2018, former political advisor and local councillor Pauline Richards has represented the seat of Cranbourne, in Melbourne's outer-south east. She has previously served as government whip, a role that helps manage the day-to-day business of parliament. Ryan Batchelor Read moreRyan Batchelor, a first-term MP and former adviser to then-prime minister Julia Gillard, represents the Southern Metropolitan region in the upper house. Mr Batchelor is currently the parliamentary secretary for Emergency Services. Sheena Watt Read moreSheena Watt is Labor's first ever Aboriginal representative in Victorian Parliament and is currently the only Indigenous MP in the state. Since 2020, she has represented the Northern Metropolitan region after working in the community services sector. She is parliamentary secretary of Public and Active Transport and Community Sport Katie Hall Read moreSince 2018, former communications and community sector worker Katie Hall has represented the electorate of Footscray. She is currently the parliamentary secretary for Housing and Building and Creative Industries. Sonja Terpstra Read moreFirst elected to the upper house in 2018, the lawyer and former union worker represents the North-Eastern Metropolitan region. Nina Taylor Read moreNina Taylor has been in parliament almost eight years, first as an upper house MP and now as the member for Albert Park. The former councillor has held various ministerial support roles. Josh Bull Read moreLabor MP Josh Bull has represented the electorate of Sunbury in Melbourne's outer north-west since 2014. Having previously worked as a teacher, he currently supports the treasurer as parliamentary secretary. There was further speculation that Ms Allan allies Sonya Kilkenny, Jaclyn Symes and Maree Edwards could retire. If Ms Symes remains, insiders said she is unlikely to remain Treasurer. Industry Minister Colin Brooks was considered a possible contender for that position. While her colleagues speculated Ms Kilkenny could follow Ms Allan out the door, she had her existing ministries guaranteed to her in a deal brokered at Tuesday's chaotic caucus meeting. Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt was mooted for the more senior Health portfolio. Ms Stitt and Mr Brooks were both among the delegation of ministers and MPs that informed Ms Allan on Monday she no longer enjoyed majority support of her caucus. Tuesday's leadership change, after Mr Carroll declared his intention to contest and Ms Allan subsequently resigned, splintered the Left faction and has left the dominant grouping wounded. Mr Carroll separately on Friday announced Treasury Secretary Chris Barrett would now lead the Department of Premier and Cabinet. He replaces Jeremi Moule, who entered the role under Daniel Andrews in November 2020. Mr Barrett's first job when he begins on Monday will be to work on standing up a royal commission into alleged corruption on the Big Build. Minister Paul Edbrooke on Friday told reporters he did not expect any changes to his portfolios, Consumer Affairs, Cost of Living, Renters, and Men and Boys. Shadow Attorney General James Newbury said the impending reshuffle would make no difference to the government's prospects. "It doesn't matter who holds what portfolio. Frankly, none of them are fit to be in government, and I think Victorians know that. And I think come November, you will see Victorians cast their very swift judgment on this government." Previous ministers under Jacinta Allan: | Minister | Portfolios | |---|---| | Ben Carroll | Minister for Education, WorkSafe, TAC, Medical Research | | Jaclyn Symes | Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Development Victoria and Precincts | | Lizzie Blandthorn | Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Minister for Children, Disability | | Anthony Carbines | Leader of the House, Minister for Police, Community Safety, Victims, Racing | | Colin Brooks | Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Defence Industry, Skills and TAFE | | Lily D'Ambrosio (retiring) | Minister for Climate Action, Energy & Resources, State Electricity Commission | | Steve Dimopoulos | Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Sport and Major Events | | Paul Edbrooke | Minister for Cost of Living, Renters, Men and Boys, Consumer Affairs | | Enver Erdogan | Minister for Environment, Outdoor Recreation, Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation | | Luba Grigorovitch | Minister for Youth, Carers and Volunteers | | Paul Hamer | Minister for Local Government, Youth Justice, Corrections | | Melissa Horne | Minister for Ports and Freight, Health Infrastructure, Prevention of Family Violence | | Sonya Kilkenny | Attorney General, Minister for Planning, Violence Reduction, Finance | | Michaela Settle | Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture | | Harriet Shing (retiring) | Minister for Health, Ambulance Services, Water | | Ros Spence | Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Community Sport, First Peoples | | Nick Staikos | Minister for Housing and Building, Suburban Rail Loop | | Ingrid Stitt | Minister for Government Services, Special Minister for State, Mental Health, Ageing, Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria | | Natalie Suleyman | Minister for Tourism, Small and Family Business, Employment, Veterans | | Gabrielle Williams | Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Public and Active Transport, Women and Girls | | Vicki Ward | Minister for Emergency Services, Natural Disaster Recovery, Equality, Creative Industries |