Breaking: Jacinta Allan steps aside as Victorian premier

Jacinta Allan steps aside as Victorian premier ahead of expected leadership spill motionPosted Tue 28 Jul 2026 at 9:41amTue 28 Jul 2026 at 9:41am, updated Tue 28 Jul 2026 at 10:13amTue 28 Jul 2026 at 10:13amJacinta Allan says she will support Ben Carroll to become next Labor leader. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan will resign from the top job, paving the way for her deputy Ben Carroll to become the state's next leader.Ms Allan made the announcement this morning, ahead of an expected spill motion she was tipped to lose.The meeting came after a whirlwind 24 hours, which saw Ms Allan write to Labor's state secretary to confirm she would contest any leadership ballot, and Mr Carroll say he had been approached to launch a challenge.Speaking at parliament this morning, the outgoing premier said she would give her unqualified support to Mr Carroll should he put his hand up."I am making this decision because it is the right thing by the Labor Party and the Victorian people," she said."I was prepared to put my record and my plan to a ballot of members as our rules allow."I believe I would have won. But doing so this close to an election takes up valuable resources, including the most precious … one, time."At the end of the day, I am and always have been a team player."Ms Allan has led Victoria since she replaced Daniel Andrews in 2023.Her term has been overshadowed by scandals that have followed her from the Andrews era, most notably allegations of corruption in the state's Big Build construction program.Ms Allan was the state's youngest-ever female MP when she was elected on the eve of her 26th birthday in 1999, and only the second woman to hold the top job.Speaking this morning, she encouraged more women to enter politics."Please don't look at what I have experienced this week and think, 'Stuff that. I don't want to be involved,'" she said."Look at the support I've experienced over my career, and think, 'I can make a difference here too.'"