Jacinta Allan expected to become next Victorian Premier

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A new Victorian premier is set to be decided today after the resignation of Daniel Andrews. Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan is shaping up as the favourite to take the job.

Transcript

00:00 Daniel Andrews has been one of the most dominant figures in Victoria's political history.

00:06 Not since Geoff Kennett has a political leader been so polarising in this state.

00:10 Despite some very vocal critics, Daniel Andrews results speak for themselves.

00:14 He won three elections, the last two with thumping majorities.

00:18 He leaves a big legacy, building tens of billions of dollars worth of infrastructure and pushing

00:23 social reforms including assisted dying, which other states have followed suit.

00:28 His election results, as I said, speak for themselves.

00:31 But there has been frequent criticisms from the state's anti-corruption watchdogs about

00:36 his government's integrity track record.

00:39 But none of it has ever stuck.

00:41 He's been an unrivalled political communicator and he's run a centrally controlled government

00:46 with all decisions going through his office.

00:48 Sometimes much the chagrin of ministers would have liked some more autonomy.

00:52 The challenge for the next leader is how they will run this government.

00:55 Will they follow Daniel Andrews and run a centrally controlled government or will cabinet

00:59 ministers have a little bit more to say?

01:02 Who's going to be the next leader is going to start to be decided today.

01:06 It's likely to be Jacinta Allen, Daniel Andrews' deputy, who hails from Bendigo East and was

01:10 elected all the way back in 1999 when she was in her 20s.

01:14 The jockeying between the factions is going on right now, particularly over who will be

01:19 deputy and whether anyone will challenge Jacinta Allen for the leadership position.

01:23 Should that happen, the process to elect the next premier will take months with the Labor

01:27 membership set to have their say.

01:29 But right now it's just Jacinta Allen as the sole nominee.

01:33 How she runs her government and whoever runs this government will have a big challenge.

01:36 There's lots to do.

01:38 Tackling Victoria's net debt, which is now up to $171 billion in three years' time, is

01:43 a big challenge and making sure those major projects come in at cost is a big challenge.

01:48 There's also some other social and political reforms that need to be addressed, including

01:52 raising the age of criminal responsibility for children from 10 to 12 and delivering

01:57 on Melbourne's safe injecting room in the CBD.

02:00 Lots to do, a big challenge forever to do it, and it goes without saying that filling

02:05 Daniel Andrews' boots is a very big challenge.

02:07 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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