Jacinta Allan’s final day as Victoria’s Premier was marked by emotion, political upheaval and sharply contrasting assessments of her legacy, highlighting the challenge that ultimately brought her government undone.
Within hours of Allan announcing her resignation after 1,036 days as Premier, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll was unanimously elected leader of the Victorian Parliamentary Labor Party following Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny’s withdrawal from the contest. Carroll is expected to be sworn in as Victoria’s 50th Premier.
For Allan, the farewell was deeply personal.
“I’ve made the difficult decision to step aside as leader of the Labor Party and Premier of Victoria,” she said, explaining she believed forcing a ballot would create unnecessary uncertainty so close to the November election.
She immediately endorsed Carroll.
“Should Ben Carroll emerge as our next Labor leader and Labor premier, he will have my congratulations and my unqualified support.”
Her speech was less about politics than about the experiences she said had shaped her values.
“I’m a woman. I’m a mum. I’ve lived with endometriosis. And I almost lost my daughter after birth,” she said, before arguing that she wanted to be remembered as the Premier who listened to women about their health.
She returned repeatedly to the theme that had defined her leadership.
“I fight for working class families. It’s in my blood.”
She also defended her government’s record, arguing Labor had strengthened bail laws, invested in schools and hospitals, expanded public transport and women’s health services, and made “life easier, safer and more affordable” for Victorians.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the outgoing Premier before congratulating Carroll.
“Congratulations on everything you achieved for Victoria and all the best for the future,” he said.
Addressing Carroll, Albanese wrote: “Working with Ben as Education Minister, we locked in full funding for every Victorian school. Premier, I’m looking forward to working together to deliver better schools, healthcare and more homes for Victorians.”
For Victoria’s Indian community, Allan’s departure has prompted a wave of appreciation.
During her time as Premier, she strengthened ties with India through trade missions, education partnerships, investment initiatives and multicultural engagement. She personally welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Melbourne this month, launched Victoria’s India Strategy, supported Indian community infrastructure and repeatedly defended multiculturalism during periods of heightened anti-immigration rhetoric.
Khelaiya Productions founder Harsiddhy Modi said Allan engaged with Indian Australians “with warmth, respect and authenticity”.
“As a woman Premier, it was inspiring to see her understand the pulse of our community and recognise the important role we play in Victoria’s multicultural story,” she said.
“Her support for cultural, educational and business connections has helped build lasting trust.”
Former ministerial adviser Nitin Gupta said that, regardless of politics, Allan consistently supported multicultural communities.
“Party politics aside, Jacinta Allan was a great supporter of multicultural communities, and engagement through multicultural media,” he said.
“I take this opportunity to personally thank Jacinta Allan for all her support to the Victorian Indian community during her term, especially during the times when the community needed it the most.”
Kaumil Patel also credited Allan with strengthening Victoria’s relationship with India through trade, education, investment and multicultural engagement, saying those efforts reinforced Victoria’s standing as one of Australia’s most India-friendly states.
Freelance journalist Sridhar Subramaniam said Allan’s willingness to publicly support multiculturalism mattered.
“We need leaders like that to make the community feel wanted and appreciated and not alienated by pronouncements of a small minority who spew hate and ride on that anti-immigrant rhetoric,” he said.
“We will miss her.”
Not everyone shared that assessment.
Dr Ranjith Rao dismissed Allan’s farewell speech, particularly her claim that Labor had made life “easier, safer and more affordable”.
“What a joke,” he said.
“Lying even on the way out. Our great state of Victoria deserves so much better. Let’s hope proper change comes in November.”
Reaction on The Indian Sun’s Facebook page reflected similar divisions.
While many readers thanked Allan for supporting multicultural communities, others argued her government had failed on crime, housing affordability and the cost of living.
One reader, Amit Malik, wrote that although Allan had been described as a friend of the Indian community, “she’s not a friend to anyone living in this state”, pointing to rising crime during her premiership.
Those contrasting reactions perhaps best capture Allan’s legacy.
To many multicultural Victorians, she will be remembered as a Premier who was accessible, inclusive and prepared to publicly defend their place in Victoria.
To many other Victorians, her government became synonymous with rising living costs, concerns about crime and the state’s growing debt.
As Ben Carroll prepares to lead Labor into the November election, he inherits both sides of that legacy: the goodwill Allan built within multicultural communities and the political challenges that ultimately ended her premiership.
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