Today I advised the Premier of my decision to not recontest the seat of Mill Park at the election in November, and that I will be stepping down from the Cabinet.
It has been my proud honour to have represented the people of Mill Park since 2002.
Meeting with and listening to people about what matters to them and ultimately fighting for them has been a tremendous privilege.
The major investments that have been made in roads, rail and buses, schools and sporting clubs, the Northern Hospital and women’s health have all been made by Labor governments because what matters to the local communities and working people sits at the core of the Labor Party.
I have had the privilege to help deliver the first of many policy reforms to navigate the profound transformation of our energy system, with people always at the heart of change. We’ve implemented nation-leading energy consumer protections, grown clean renewable energy, and reduced our greenhouse gas emissions all whilst saving Victorians on their energy bills and securing our energy future.
With our first offshore wind auction set to launch in August and Victoria now well placed to manage any further disruption to global fuel markets, I have decided that it is time to step back.
It has also been my immense privilege to serve as Australia’s longest serving Energy and Climate Minister.
Back in 2014 not a lot of people thought about energy too much. Of course, the decade that followed changed all that.
Under Labor, Victoria has led the nation, paving the way for Australia’s transition to renewable energy.
Where Victoria has gone, the rest of country has followed.
And that’s especially the case when it comes to energy and climate policy. From the first net zero legislation in the country, strong renewable energy laws, the Victorian Default Offer, Solar Homes, Neighbourhood batteries and of course bringing back the State Electricity Commission to help grow energy sector jobs to 68,000 by 2040 and the SEC Apprenticeship Academy that will deliver 2,000 more apprentices.
Victoria continues to have the lowest energy prices nationally, and more and more of our energy comes from renewables. Since 2024, Labor’s policies have led to a staggering $13 billion of investment in approved renewable energy projects across the state.
We’ve not only set the most ambitious emissions reduction and renewable energy targets anywhere in the nation – we’ve achieved every one of them. We’ve cut emissions by 28.5 per cent since 2014 and in 2024-25 financial year a remarkable 41.5 per cent of electricity generated in Victoria came from renewables.
And over 10 per cent of our electricity came from rooftop solar – largely due to Labor’s landmark Solar Homes program, which since 2018 has also created thousands of jobs.
And in August, Victoria will become the first state in Australia to commence an offshore wind auction. Offshore wind is crucial to Victoria’s energy reliability and affordability. It’s also crucial investment for people in Gippsland – growing the local economy and creating thousands of new jobs each year out to 2040.
I was also proud to be part of a government that took the most significant step any state has ever taken towards justice, truth and reconciliation by becoming the first to legislate a Treaty with First Peoples.
When I was growing up, my family like many others, faced our own difficulties and challenges. They needed Labor governments to back them, protect wages and keep them safe at work. A strong public health system when things were very dire and good government schools both mainstream and special.
In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and global uncertainty, families today still depend on Labor governments to fight for them. I know that Premier Ben Carroll values all of these things and more because he has lived challenges himself. I look forward to standing by him and the entire Labor team to earn every vote and see a Carroll Labor Government returned in November. I wish Ben all of the very best.
To the many members of my ministerial staff over these special years, including Andrew Giles, Ian Porter, Tim Sonnreich, Emily Garnett, Nick Parry and Francesco Naismith, thank you for your amazing dedication and tenacity.
To the wonderful people who have staffed my electorate office, led by Eric Seychell and Lidia Argondizzo. Thank you.
To my second family, the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Services Union who have always had my back and the backs of working people and community.
To my family: Andrew, Eleanor, Madeleine and Joel. Thank you for everything. I love you.
And finally, I hope that my life in public service shows all girls what is possible for them no matter their faith, what they look like or the way they speak. Always back yourselves and each other.
