Victorian Labor MPs have voted to appoint Jacinta Allan as party leader and the 49th premier of the state, after Daniel Andrews announced his resignation on Tuesday.
Allan – who was widely tipped to succeed Andrews – was elected unopposed during a caucus meeting on Wednesday afternoon as Victoria’s second female premier. She was due be sworn it at government house at 5pm on Wednesday, when Andrews’ resignation comes into effect.
Speaking to reporters after the vote, Allan said it was a “deep honour and privilege” to be elected premier.
“Can I say 24 years ago, almost to the day, when I walked into this place as a much younger woman from regional Victoria, I never expected to have this length of service or indeed to be able to have had the honour and privilege of serving the Victorian community in various ministerial roles,” she said.
Allan also thanked Andrews and said she would work “incredibly hard” as premier, flagging a different leadership style than the three previous Labor leaders she had served under.
“The values of hard work, the values about equality of opportunity, the values around supporting working families [and] supporting our beautiful natural environment – they will be will values that I bring to the role,” she said.
Allan has become the first female premier in the state since Joan Kirner’s Labor government lost the 1992 election. She said Kirner was a “wonderful mentor and support to so many of us”.
“It’s not lost on me that I am only the second woman to lead this state and that comes with some emotion,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes.
Allan said it was her hope that her elevation to the top job would provide inspiration to more women to take on leadership roles – whether that be in the public service, in small business, large corporations or the family farm.
“I know along my journey young women have talked to me about my journey, and how they can learn from that – hopefully learn from some of the slings and arrows and not have that repeated – but also too how they can see that leadership does come in different shapes and sizes,” she said.
Allan’s election came after last-minute threat from the minister for industry and public transport, Ben Carroll, who had flagged an intention to run for the position when he arrived Wednesday’s meeting.
A deal was struck, however, and he was elected deputy unopposed.
Allan, the member for Bendigo East in regional Victoria, was first elected to state parliament in 1999. At age 25, she became the youngest woman elected to Victoria’s parliament and at 29 became the state’s youngest minister.
She was most recently minister for transport and infrastructure and the suburban rail loop. Prior to the state’s axing of the Commonwealth Games in July, her portfolio also included overseeing the delivery of the event.
Allan had been a factional ally of Andrews in the socialist left, and served as his deputy leader.
“I couldn’t be more happy that my colleagues have unanimously endorsed and chosen Jacinta Allan to be the 49th premier. She’s always worked hard for the people of Victoria and she always will,” Andrews told reporters, as he left Wednesday’s meeting.
The treasurer, Tim Pallas, who unsuccessfully put his hand up for deputy as the left’s pick, also confirmed he would continue in the role.
Filling the vacancy in the cabinet left by Andrews is another factional ally, Eltham MP Vicki Ward. A cabinet reshuffle is expected in the coming days.
It is not yet known if the leadership of the upper house will also change.
Andrews on Tuesday announced he would formally step down as both premier and the member for Mulgrave at 5pm on Wednesday, saying he had begun to think about what life would be like were he not in the all-consuming role.
He said leading the state had been “the honour and privilege” of his life.
