Victorian Cabinet Update - December 2022

Limited changes to Cabinet for Andrews Government’s third term, but significant reshuffle in responsibilities

Following Victorian Labor’s decisive election victory in Victoria on Saturday 26 November, Premier Daniel Andrews has today announced the new ministerial cabinet for the third term of the Victorian Labor Government.

Andrews has elected not to make wholesale portfolio changes, opting to mostly stick with the team he put forward following a major reshuffle six months earlier. Fourteen of the twenty-two Ministers are women.

Deputy Premier, Jacinta Allan will continue as Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop and Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery – delivering signature major transport infrastructure projects.

Also continuing, is long-serving Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas who also retains portfolio responsibility for Industrial Relations, Trade and Investment.

Lily D’Ambrosio will continue in the Energy and Resources portfolio, along with Climate Action and oversee the key election policy to re-introduce a Victorian State Electricity Commission. She will also have some influence over agricultural and resources policies through her responsibility to meet new emission reductions targets of 75 to 80% by 2035. In recognition of D’Ambrosio’s increased workload, the Environment portfolio will now be overseen by Ingrid Stitt who retains responsibility for Early Childhood & Pre-Prep.

Lizzie Blandthorn has been moved from the Planning portfolio and will now take on the portfolios of Disability, Ageing and Carers as well as Child Protection and Family Services replacing Colin Brooks who has been moved to Housing and Multicultural Affairs. Replacing Blandthorn in the Planning portfolio will be Carrum MP, Sonya Kilkenny.

Mary-Anne Thomas has retained the Health portfolio and also adds responsibility as Leader of the House along with Health Infrastructure and Medical Research. Ambulance Services has been separated from the Health portfolio and will now be the portfolio responsibility of Gabrielle Williams.

There are also two new faces in the ministry with Enver Erdogan who will be sworn in as Minister for Corrections, Youth Justice and Victim Support and Victoria will get its first female Muslim minister in Natalie Suleyman who will take on the portfolios of Minister for Veterans, Small Business and Youth.

Shaun Leane has been left out of the reshuffled Cabinet all together and will most likely be nominated by Labor for the position of President of Victoria’s Upper House, a position Leane held previously.

Full Andrews Government Ministry list

Andrews further consolidates his power

The ministerial reshuffle has come as Premier Andrews has moved to further consolidate his grip on power with the creation of a new ‘Daniel Andrews faction’ within Victorian Labor which has seen seven key defections from the party’s Right faction joining Party MPs aligned to Andrews through his traditional affiliation with the Victorian Labor Socialist Left faction. The most high-profile defections to the new grouping are Treasurer Tim Pallas and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and Minister for Creative Industries, Steve Dimopoulos.

Machinery of government changes

The new ministry will be supported in its work by a number of Machinery of Government changes, effective from 1 January 2023.  

 Newly created Victorian Government departments include:  

• Victorian Department of Transport and Planning  
• Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action  
• Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions  
• Victorian Department of Education  
• Victorian Department of Government Services 

Parliament to return on 20 December

The Premier has confirmed the intention of the Victorian Government is for the new Parliament to sit for one day on Tuesday 20 December. A calendar of sitting dates for the 2023 calendar year will then be announced in due course.

Votes still being counted

Whilst the new Ministry has now been sworn-in, counting continues in four lower house seats that remain too close to call and in Victoria’s Upper House, where outcomes are not expected for another week.

The four lower house seats still to be decided are: Bass (Labor ahead v Liberal by 179 votes), Northcote (Labor ahead v Greens by 192 votes) Pakenham (Liberals ahead v Labor by 93 votes), and Preston (Labor ahead v Greens by 1,764 votes).

At this stage, the Andrews Government is set to win between 52-56 seats, well ahead of the minimum 45 seat majority it needed to control the lower house.

Counting continues in the Victorian Upper House where both Labor and the Coalition are predicted to hold 15 seats each in the 40 member chamber, with a crossbench of Greens and other minor parties making up the remaining seats. If these numbers hold up, the Andrews Government will need to win the support of a minimum six crossbenchers to pass legislation. There are numerous close vote counts between minor parties to determine the final make-up of the crossbench, most notably in the Northern Metropolitan Region where Reason Party Leader, Fiona Patten is in the fight of her life to retain her seat against disgraced former Labor Minister, Adem Somyurek who stood as a Democratic Labour Party candidate.

Harriet Shing, who is Minister for Water, Regional Development, Commonwealth Games Legacy and Equality, will not be sworn in until counting in the Upper House finishes. According to the latest count, Shing is on track to retain her upper house seat. In the meantime, the Premier will discharge her portfolio duties until the count is finalised.

Final results for the Upper House are expected to be finalised in the next week.

Victorian Liberal leadership to be decided this week

Fresh from their decisive election defeat, the Victorian Liberal Party will meet later this week where a ballot will be held to decide who will be the next Opposition Leader of Victoria. With incumbent leader, Matthew Guy announcing he will resign the position, SEC Newgate understands the leadership contest is down to two possible candidates. Shadow Minister and Berwick MP, Brad Battin is set to face off against newly returned Hawthorn MP, John Pesutto who won his Hawthorn seat back off the Labor Party last Saturday, withstanding a strong challenge from a Teal independent. The Coalition are likely to end with between 27-29 seats in the new Parliament.. The Liberal and National Party will remain in Coalition. The National Party has also strengthened its position, winning back three seats from rural independents.

Contacts

Contact us for more information about the Victorian Ministry and what it means for you.

Feyi Akindoyeni, Partner and Melbourne Office Head, SEC Newgate Communications – [email protected]

Nick Maher, Partner, SEC Newgate Communications – [email protected]

Brenton Baldwin, Account Director, SEC Newgate Communications – [email protected]

Nicoleta Romas, Account Director, SEC Newgate Communications – [email protected]