Jacinta Allan leadership spill dominates Victorian politics this morning as Premier Jacinta Allan said she will step aside ahead of a caucus meeting, confirming she will not contest the leadership as her deputy Ben Carroll challenges for the top job.
“After speaking with my colleagues overnight, I’ve made the difficult decision to step aside. Should Ben Carroll emerge as our next Labor leader and Labor premier, he will have my congratulations and unqualified support. I am making this because it’s the right thing by the Labor party, and by the Victorian people.”
Allan is due to address reporters shortly.
Ben Carroll arrives at Victorian parliament
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, who is seeking the Victorian Labor leadership, arrived at parliament and briefly told reporters his priority was consulting colleagues.
“I will have more to say later. Right now, my focus is on talking to my colleagues.”
Carroll’s arrival came as Labor MPs gathered for the caucus meeting. A profile of Carroll has highlighted his rise within the party and his factional support base.
Labor MPs begin arriving for leadership spill
Labor MPs arrived at parliament through the morning as the leadership spill loomed. Environment Minister Enver Erdogan said there was a “case for change,” adding there should be stronger action on crime and corruption in Victoria.
Asked if a royal commission was needed into alleged corruption on Big Build construction sites, he replied, “Yes.”
Jacinta Allan leadership spill and search for missing baby
Search efforts resumed off South Australia’s Limestone Coast after the bodies of a woman and a toddler were recovered from the ocean near Cape Northumberland, close to Port MacDonnell. Police had been called around 11.15am on Monday to an abandoned car left with the engine running.
A short time later officers located the two bodies. Police said the deceased were a 36-year-old woman from Compton, near Mount Gambier, and her toddler.
Water Operations Unit officers, along with CFS and SES volunteers, are assisting. Forecast bad weather may hinder work on the water, but authorities said land searches and thermal drone sweeps would continue.
ATO’s ‘same job, same pay’ hearings begin
Landmark hearings opened to test the Australian Taxation Office’s reliance on outsourced call centres, amid claims contractors earn up to 40 percent less than equivalent public service roles on the same lines.
Former ATO phone line worker Nathan Brunne, employed through Probe Operations, has lodged a “same job, same pay” case in the Fair Work Commission with the backing of the Community and Public Sector Union.
Pre-hearing material states team leaders at outsource firms earn about $31 an hour compared with more than $52 at the ATO. Probe plans to contest the claim, while the ATO has not taken a formal position.
If successful, the application could require contractors to match ATO pay rates, potentially undermining the viability of outsourcing for the tax office and other agencies. The Victorian hearings are expected to conclude next week.
PM salutes union ‘giants’ as ACTU leaders step down
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil, describing them as friends and “giants of the labour movement” after they announced their departures as ACTU secretary and president.
“Working families are in a stronger financial position today than they would otherwise be because of the tireless advocacy and strong leadership of Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil.”
He noted their eight years together as the ACTU’s first all-female leadership coincided with major gains including wage rises in undervalued sectors and a record-low gender pay gap, alongside the first growth in union membership in decades.
ACTU leaders step down after eight years at the top
McManus and O’Neil said on Monday night they would step aside after eight years, citing the need for renewal. The pair were instrumental in pushing the Albanese government’s workplace agenda, including the right to disconnect, same job same pay protections, wage theft criminalisation and minimum standards for gig workers.
The ACTU has also recently targeted Pauline Hanson, signalling the movement’s view that One Nation poses a greater political threat to Labor than the Coalition. McManus will leave next month, while O’Neil will remain to assist the transition before departing later this year.
“Union membership is growing and workers have over 47 new workplace rights. But there are still big challenges with cost-of-living pressures, AI and billionaires who have too much wealth and power,” McManus said in a farewell video.
Live updates from Victorian parliament
Allan backers remained vocal before her decision to step aside. Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the premier had her “full support” as she arrived.
Former Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said she would not back a spill, citing personal loyalty and praising Allan’s leadership and focus on Victorians.
Colin Brooks, one of six ministers who told Allan they no longer supported her, said he would vote “for integrity in the Labor party and a royal commission.” Minister Steve Dimopoulos, a key Allan supporter, declined to comment before the caucus meeting, saying there was a process to be respected.
Queensland delays AusAlert adoption
Queensland will delay adopting the federal government’s AusAlert emergency warning system until at least April next year, according to state Fire and Disaster Recovery Minister Ann Leahy.
The state says the new system’s lack of fixed landline capability is problematic in some regional areas. With fire season peaking in October, Queensland will continue using the existing system in the interim.
Court upholds racial discrimination finding against Pauline Hanson
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi welcomed a court decision upholding a finding that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson engaged in racial discrimination with a tweet telling her to “pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan.” Faruqi told RN Breakfast it was “a good day” for people of colour, Muslims and migrants, adding she would be prepared if the matter were taken to the High Court.
The ruling was seen as a significant moment for many migrants from Pakistan and the broader South Asian community. Human rights advocates said the case underscored the importance of Australia’s federal anti-discrimination framework.