Labor minister Jacinta Allan has been appointed Victoria’s deputy premier in a factional deal backed by Premier Dan Andrews. Steve Dimopoulos the member for Oakleigh has also been elevated to minister.
Ms Allan is from the premier’s socialist left faction. Under Labor convention, the deputy role is usually held by an someone from a different faction to the premier but not always.
Mr Dimopoulos the member for Oakleigh is from Labor’s right faction.
The vote was unanimous and there was a “very good spirit in the room” said John Kennedy the member for Hawthorn, after Saturday’s caucus meeting as reported in The Age.
Ms Allan entered Parliament in 1999 to become a minister at 29, making her the youngest in the history of the state.
Deputy premier James Merlino, along with another four senior cabinet ministers, resigned on Friday, five months before the November state election.
Labor caucus met on Saturday to fill the five vacancies left by Mr Merlino, health minister Martin Foley, police minister Lisa Neville and sports minister Martin Pakula.
Mr Dimopoulos said that he was “incredibly honoured” that his colleagues selected him to “join the Victorian Government Cabinet along with Lizzie Blandthorn, Colin Brooks, Sonya Kilkenny and Harriet Shing.”
“The Andrews Labor Government has achieved so much over the last seven and half year, in transport, hospitals, schools and just as importantly on mental health and reducing family violence. I cannot recall a more active government. A government that still has at its core a goal to get things done,” Mr Dimopoulos’ said to Neos Kosmos.
The new minister said that there is more to do. And he intends to “give 110 per cent to make sure we can do even more on behalf of those who put us here, the people of Victoria”.
He went on to thank his colleagues and his electorate of Oakleigh and paid tribute to those leaving the cabinet, Martin Pakula, James Merlino, Richard Wynne, Lisa Nevlle and Martin Foley.
“Together and individually were some of the most hard working and inspiring people I have seen in public life, they lived their values every single day and made made change happen,” said Mr Dimopoulos.
Mr Dimopoulos took the opportunity to thank his partner and his parents. “I want to to thank my partner John and my family who have been steadfast in their support. My parents, Nick and Helen are migrants from Greece who came to this country with little but created a bright future for myself and my sister Mary and now their grandchildren,” an emotional Mr Dimopoulos said to Neos Kosmos.
He said that his parents, like the hundreds of other Greek migrants left “a homeland that they love to seek a better future.” At the same time he added they never forgot where they came from.
“This is their story – but it is also the broader story of migration to this country, the home of multiculturalism. As an Australian with Greek heritage I am honoured to play a small role in representing the diversity that is modern Australia,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
All five ministers that retired, were on the frontline of Victoria’s COVID pandemic response. According to an anonymous Labor source, “fatigue set in, after eight years in office especially with the pandemic, one can lose focus.”
There is “no evidence of factionalism” according to this source.
“Daniel is dominant, and he’s kept a lid on divisions, and those hostile to him have all moved on,” the source said to Neos Kosmos.
Mr Andrews said he will ring the new ministers to allocate them portfolios. The new cabinet would be announced later Saturday, or Sunday and sworn in on Monday.
The premier said he will serve a full term if Labor wins the November election.
“I will be here to get the job done. I didn’t come back from a very serious injury so I could leave. I came back to do the work.”
Before the meeting, Pakula threw his support behind Allan, saying she would be an “amazing” deputy premier.
Merlino will play a strategic role during the election, by helping candidates in their local campaigns.