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Victorian premier Jacinta Allan to step down

Jacinta Allan, the Victorian premier, will step down amid a leadership spill.

double quotation markAfter 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.

More to come …

Key events

• 1h ago

  Victorian premier Jacinta Allan to step down

• 2h ago

  Ben Carroll arrives at Victorian parliament

• 2h ago

  Labor MPs begin arriving for leadership spill

• 3h ago

  Grave fears for missing baby as ocean search resumes

• 4h ago

  ATO’s ‘same job, same pay’ hearings begin

• 4h ago

  PM salutes 'giants of the labour movement'

• 4h ago

  ACTU leaders step down after eight years at the top

• 4h ago

  Welcome

Krishani Dhanji

Canavan welcomes oil refinery scoping study, but calls for safeguard mechanism to be scrapped

Matt Canavan says he’d “love” to see a new oil refinery built, but perhaps predictably, says it can’t be done unless the government scraps its “carbon taxes”.

By carbon taxes, he means the safeguard mechanism that requires big greenhouse gas emitters to reduce their emissions, and offset any excess emissions over a set limit. The scheme was created by the former Coalition government but ratcheted up by Labor.

Canavan told News 24 earlier this morning the two remaining refineries in Australia will pay more than $100m in “carbon tax fees by the end of this decade”.

double quotation markI’d love to see a new oil refinery built, but to do that, we’ve got to get rid of Labor’s carbon taxes. This is not going to happen. We’re not going to get a new oil refinery in this country while this government imposes a massive carbon tax on existing refineries, and new ones would be subject to the same.

Canavan says that the current two oil refineries still exist in Australia “thanks to the work Angus Taylor did” as energy minister under the Morrison government.

But five oil refineries have closed in Australia since 2012 – four of them under the Coalition’s watch.

Benita Kolovos

Allan arrives at last caucus meeting

The premier, Jacinta Allan, has arrived to her final caucus meeting as leader to rousing applause. Flanked by her loyal supporters including attorney general Sonya Kilkenny, health minister Harriet Shing, finance minister Steve Dimopoulos and energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio.

Her deputy, Ben Carroll, who will now be elected Labor leader unopposed, arrived with Gabrielle Williams, who is being touted for the deputy role, as well as members of both his right faction and Allan’s left.

Sarah Basford Canales

Wong rules out extension of fuel excise cut

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has ruled out an extension of the fuel excise cut beyond this weekend as petrol and diesel prices surge again amid the war between the US and Israel against Iran.

Speaking to ABC Breakfast this morning, Wong said the government would continue to look at ways to relieve households of financial stress but there were no plans to extend the halving of the fuel excise beyond this weekend.

double quotation markWhat we are focused on is ensuring continued fuel and fertiliser coming into Australia, and we are calling, as so many in the international community are, for there to be ceasefire negotiations and an end to this conflict, which has caused so much global turmoil …

Currently, the plan is for the fuel excise to step down. As you know, it’s come down, it’s halved, and the intention is for that to discontinue as of this weekend.

The federal government announced a three-month halving of the fuel excise from April, slashing the 52.6c a litre tax temporarily to 26.4c a litre. It is set to expire on 2 August.

The news comes as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, visits Karratha in Western Australia’s Pilbara region to announce a $4m early stage feasibility study into the construction of what would be Australia’s first new oil refinery in 60 years.

Read more:

Allan says her endometriosis and childbirth experience ‘defined what I believe government should do for working women’

A bit more about Allan’s comments on women’s health, and her time as a female political leader:

“I have lived with endometriosis and I almost lost my daughter at birth,” she told assembled media as she announced her resignation as premier just earlier.

double quotation markThese experiences not only defined who I am, they defined what I believe government should do for working women.

She went on to list some of her government’s achievements:

• Opening 15 women’s health clinics across the state.

• Rolling out the green whistle for free pain relief.

• Access to the contraceptive pill at the chemist without having to pay to see a GP.

• And the country’s first virtual emergency department.

double quotation markIf you’re a woman making your start in politics, let me say this to you today: please don’t look at what I have experienced this week and think ‘Stuff that, I don’t want to be involved.’

Look at the support I have experienced over my career and think, ‘I can make a difference here too.’

Allan asks to be remembered for work supporting women and girls

Allan said:

double quotation markIf I want to be remembered for one thing, it’s this: I led a government … I led a government that listened to girls about their health.

… I am proud to be Victoria’s second female premier, and there have absolutely been moments when it’s been hard and it’s been personal. But the chance to make a difference was worth it …

If you want to make a difference in politics, you have to get up and fight and I am a fighter. I have always fought for my family’s Labor values.

She said she was “more than ready” to fight again in November, issuing a warning on One Nation’s surge in the state.

double quotation markThat remains the biggest risk at this election, a One Nation-Liberal coalition government that will cut $40bn from our hospitals and from our schools.

Allan ‘proud’ of building up regional Victoria

Allan is listing a string of achievements and her love of Melbourne and regional Victoria:

double quotation markMelbourne’s a great city. It’s the best in the world, multicultural and proudly so …

But if you ask me what sets Victoria apart, it’s our regional cities. And I am so proud to call one of them home.

Labor governments have built up the regions. And today, it means that my kids have the opportunity in their community that I didn’t have when I grew up in Bendigo. That’s what I’m proud of.

‘This gig has been tough’: Allan

Allan says she is “immensely proud” of her time in office, which has lasted 1,036 days:

double quotation markLet’s be honest – this gig has been tough … I leave immensely proud of what we have achieved these past three years.

I inherited a rising crime rate. My team and I toughened bail laws … Crime is now falling for the first time since Covid. I inherited a budget deficit …

Making life easier and more affordable became my mission.

Victorian premier Jacinta Allan to step down

Jacinta Allan, the Victorian premier, will step down amid a leadership spill.

double quotation markAfter 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.

More to come …

Benita Kolovos

Key Jacinta Allan supporter says premier will not contest leadership spill

We’ve just heard from a key Allan supporter who says the premier Jacinta Allan will not contest the leadership spill bought against her by deputy Ben Carroll.

She’s due to address media any minute.

Jacinta Allan to address media

Jacinta Allan is expected to speak at a press conference in just a few moments, at 9.30am Melbourne time.

We’ll bring you live updates.

Benita Kolovos

Colin Brooks arrives at Victorian parliament

Colin Brooks – one of the six ministers who told the premier yesterday she no longer had their support – has just arrived at parliament. Asked if he’d be supporting Ben Carroll in the spill, he said:

double quotation markI’ll be voting for integrity in the Labor party and a royal commission.

Andrew Messenger

Queensland won’t adopt new AusAlert system until next year at the earliest

Queensland won’t adopt the federal government’s new AusAlert system until months after the planned nationwide rollout of the system in October.

The state’s minister for fire and disaster recovery, Ann Leahy, told ABC local radio this morning the “earliest” the state could adopt the new system would be April next year.

The state says the new system won’t work in some regional areas, because it doesn’t use fixed landline phone lines.

“In October we will be right in the middle of our fire season, so we will be continuing with the existing system,” Leahy said.

double quotation markThe earliest we could go across to the AusAlert would be in April next year, because we simply know we have people trained to use the existing system.

Greens senator says it was a ‘good day’ after court upholds finding Pauline Hanson engaged in racial discrimination

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said it was a “good day” yesterday after a court decision to uphold the finding that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson engaged in racial discrimination when she tweeted that she should “pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.

Faruqi spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:

double quotation markIt was a good day yesterday for people of colour, for Muslims, and for migrants in this country. And, you know, this is a win. And I have always said that this case was taken to court on behalf of everyone who has been told to go back to where you came from …

It is a strong form of racism. It is a statement that undermines people’s sense of belonging and treats them as a second-class citizen. And it has a massive impact.

Faruqi said she would be “prepared” if the case is taken to the high court, saying Hanson was “welcome to do that”.

Benita Kolovos

‘She has my full support’

The energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, is another key backer of Jacinta Allan and says that hasn’t changed:

double quotation markShe has my full support … We have a caucus meeting as we always do, and the premier is committed to her job. And as far as I’m concerned, she’ll continue in that role.

Benita Kolovos

‘Personal loyalty’ always important, former Victoria health minister says

Former Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who earlier this year announced she would resign at the November election, says she will not support a spill this morning:

double quotation markPersonal loyalty has always been very important to me, and if there is a spill motion this morning, I will not be supporting it.

She went on:

double quotation markJacinta Allan has served this state with real leadership. She’s always had the people of Victoria at the heart of everything that she does, I’ve known Jacinta for a very long time, and I have a great deal of admiration for her.

Ben Carroll arrives at Victorian parliament

Benita Kolovos

The deputy premier, Ben Carroll, who is challenging Jacinta Allan for the Victorian Labor leadership in a few hours time, has arrived at parliament and made a brief statement to reporters:

double quotation markI will have more to say later. Right now, my focus is on talking to my colleagues.

Read more about Carroll here:

Benita Kolovos

Some early remarks before the Victorian leadership spill

Minister Steve Dimopoulos – a key supporter of Allan – refused to comment on the spill as he arrived:

double quotation markI’m going to respect all of the process and respect the processes means not commenting before the process.

Asked about the mood within the caucus, he said: “I think the party has been good and sorting things out this is what today will be.”

He said he still supported the premier:

double quotation markThe premier’s always had my support but there’s a process today that will work that out.

Labor MPs begin arriving for leadership spill

Benita Kolovos

Labor MPs have begun arriving at Victorian parliament this morning for a caucus meeting where the premier, Jacinta Allan, will be challenged by her deputy, Ben Carroll.

Among them are the environment minister, Enver Erdogan, who has told reporters on their way in that there is a “case for change”.

Pressed on what needs to change, he says:

double quotation markI think we know some of these issues have been aired publicly, but I think we need stronger action on crime and corruption in the state.

Asked whether there needed to be a royal commission into allegations of corruption on Big Build construction sites, he replied: “Yes.”

Grave fears for missing baby as ocean search resumes

The search for a missing baby has resumed after the bodies of a mother and her toddler were pulled from the ocean below rugged cliffs off South Australia’s Limestone Coast,

Police are scouring waters off Port MacDonnell in a desperate search for the child after receiving a call to an abandoned car left with its engine running near Cape Northumberland about 11.15am on Monday.

Officers spotted the bodies of a woman and small child in the ocean a short time later.

They have been identified as a 36-year-old woman from Compton, near Mount Gambier, and her toddler.

Officers from the Water Operations Unit, CFS and SES volunteers will help with the search. Predicted bad weather could hamper search efforts on the water on Tuesday, but police said they would still conduct searches of the coastline on foot and using thermal imaging drones.