Family First’s Jane Foreman says any change in the Labor leadership is lipstick on a pig — the same government, the same Big Build cover-ups and the same culture of secrecy remain in charge, no matter who leads it.
Following months of leadership turmoil behind closed doors, Victorian Labor was plunged into open leadership warfare on Monday, with Deputy Premier Ben Carroll formally declaring his intention to challenge Jacinta Allan for the leadership. This comes just six weeks after publicly vowing he would never do so, telling reporters he could “look you in the eye” and promise his own daughter he had backed Ms Allan to be re-elected in her own right. By Monday afternoon he had scrubbed photos of the pair from his social media.
Mr Carroll has sat in Cabinet as Deputy Premier since October 2023, present for every major decision of the Allan Government. None of that changes because Mr Carroll may swap seats. Six weeks ago he ruled out a challenge in the strongest possible terms; on Monday that became his first broken promise. Victorians are being asked to trust a man whose word didn’t survive six weeks, leading the same Cabinet that signed off on every Big Build blowout he now wants to distance himself from.
Mr Carrol would inherit the same cabinet, the same factional bosses and the same unanswered questions that dogged Jacinta Allan. Family First says nothing in Labor’s likely internal reshuffle changes the government’s record, and Victorians deserve more than a rebadged leadership team running the same playbook into the November election.
“This is lipstick on a pig,” said Mrs Foreman. “Six weeks ago Ben Carroll looked Jacinta Allan in the eye and promised he’d never challenge her. Now he’s knifing her for the top job. If his word didn’t last six weeks, why would anyone believe a single promise he makes about fixing Labor’s mess?”
“Victorians are being offered a new face, but not one Labor MP is promising a new government,” said Mrs Foreman. “Mr Carroll was in the Cabinet room for every Big Build blowout and every decision Victorians are angry about. You can change the person standing at the podium, but you can’t hide the rot underneath. This is a factional fix, not a fix for families.”
Family First says the only genuine check on an Allen or Carroll-led government is a strong Legislative Council prepared to hold him to the higher standard his predecessor was never held to.
“The choice in November is stark, whoever is wearing the Premier’s title,” said Mrs Foreman. “Victorian families need a strong Legislative Council with Family First members who will hold whoever is Premier to account on Big Build, on corruption and on every dollar of taxpayers’ money. Changing the name plate on the Premier’s door doesn’t change the government Victorians have to fix.”
—
