Jacinta Allan's resignation triggers chaotic leadership spill

Ben Carroll will lead Victorian Labor to the state's November election after winning a chaotic leadership spill triggered by Jacinta Allan's resignation.The former deputy premier took the reins 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 challenge.Ms Allan then announced her resignation this morning, ahead of an expected spill motion she was tipped to lose.But a caucus meeting to elect a new leader descended into chaos after Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny put her hand up for the leadership, potentially triggering a wider vote involving rank-and-file party members.Yelling could be heard outside the meeting before Labor MP Juliana Addison emerged to announce that Mr Carroll, who has represented Melbourne's west since 2012, had been unanimously elected."I want to thank our former premier Jacinta Allan, an extraordinary person, who has contributed so much to the parliament of Victoria," Ms Addison said.Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams was elected deputy premier.A sombre-looking Ms Allan then led MPs out of the caucus room, through a corridor packed with journalists and camera crews and to a midday sitting of parliament.Mr Carroll's unanimous election spared the party a weeks-long process to elect a new leader that was viewed as a "nightmare scenario" this close to the election. Allan insists she would have won voteSpeaking at parliament before the meeting, 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."Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the outgoing premier shortly after her announcement and pledged to work with her successor."Jacinta Allan is someone who I think is a very decent human being," he said at a press conference in Karratha."She's someone who can be proud, I think, of her achievements over a long period of time and I wish her well for her future."This will have been a very difficult day. Politics can be a very tough business."Allan urges women to consider entering politicsMs 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.'"Ms Allan was greeted by a round of applause as she entered the Labor party room after her speech.She did not stop to take questions.