Victorian Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams has delivered a clear message to her Labor colleagues, ruling out a challenge to Premier Jacinta Allan before the upcoming state election, despite Allan's leadership being described as "terminal" by some within the party.
Leadership tensions have resurfaced at Spring Street amid growing concerns over Labor's dire polling ahead of the November election. Premier Allan had earlier dismissed reports of a plot against her as "anonymous gossip from a few scallywags." However, discussions among MPs intensified on Thursday evening, with some suggesting a challenge could occur within two to six weeks.
One MP who spoke to the Financial Review claimed Allan's leadership was "terminal," adding that a "significant number" of MPs were now discussing alternative options. The two ministers viewed as the most likely replacements are Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, from the party's right faction, and Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams, from the Socialist Left.
But on Saturday, Williams firmly ruled herself out. "I've been very clear in previous press conferences that my support is with the Premier, and if I need to go a step further and say I will not be a candidate for the leadership, then I'm happy to do so," she told reporters.
Williams, a senior member of the Socialist Left faction that has controlled the party's leadership since 2010, said no one had approached her about a challenge. "No one has approached me on this matter. We discuss as colleagues every day how we can best serve our communities. That's what we're focused on, and that's what they expect us to be focused on," she said.
When asked about colleagues who had spoken to the media about their concerns, Williams said: "My message is, always – loud and clear – that politics is not about us, it's about the Victorian community. It's about making sure that we are all firmly focused on what it is they need. How we as a government can meet their needs, that's all the Victorian community wants us to see. They want us to see that we're focused on them."
Shadow Transport Minister Matthew Guy, a veteran of multiple Liberal leadership battles, expressed disbelief at Williams' claim. "On her side? Well, gee, she might have hung around after Thursday night, because most of her team, after they had dinner, ran around the parliament bagging each other," he said.
Guy argued that the identity of the Labor leader was irrelevant. "It doesn't matter if it's Ben Carroll or Gab Williams or Jacinta Allan. They are a tired old government, and the state needs a change. Victoria needs that change. It needs a stable government that's focused on Victorians, on fixing the economy, on dealing with law and order, cleaning up health transport, and the problems – the many problems – we have. But we know the task is hard… We've got a job to do, and that's what we're focused on."
