Jacinta Allan

Jacinta Marie Allan (born 19 September 1973) is an Australian politician who has served as the 49th premier of Victoria and the leader of the Victorian Labor Party since 2023. She has been the member of the Legislative Assembly (MP) for the district of Bendigo East since 1999. Allan was first elected to parliament at the age of 25, becoming the youngest female parliamentarian in Victorian history. She entered the ministry in 2002, serving in a range of portfolios including education, skills, and regional development under premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby. During this period she oversaw initiatives to address teacher shortages, initiated a review of school governance, and faced criticism over school funding and infrastructure. Following Labor's defeat at the 2010 state election, Allan served in the opposition shadow ministry under Daniel Andrews. When Labor returned to government in 2014, she was appointed Minister for Public Transport and later Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, overseeing major infrastructure projects including the Suburban Rail Loop, Metro Tunnel, and Melbourne Airport Rail. Allan was appointed as the 29th deputy premier in June 2022 following the resignation of James Merlino, a promotion widely interpreted as positioning her as Andrews' eventual successor. Allan became premier on 27 September 2023 after Andrews' resignation. As premier, Allan has pursued a program of housing and planning reform, including overhauling planning laws to reduce approval times and rezone areas near transport hubs for higher-density development. Her government has overseen the completion of the Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel projects, and enacted Australia's first treaty with First Peoples. Her premiership has also been marked by challenges including a corruption scandal involving the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and declining approval ratings. Her government's plan to demolish and rebuild public housing towers has faced sustained opposition from tenants and advocacy groups.