Allan shuffles the deck in hopes of a better hand in 2026

Premier Jacinta Allan has used her first major cabinet reshuffle to elevate housing as her government’s policy priority before the next state election, reward loyalists and cement the dominance of Labor’s leading women.

Alongside naming former attorney-general Jaclyn Symes as treasurer, key lieutenants from Allan’s Left faction were on Thursday promoted by the premier as she pledged the rejigged frontbench “would lead us into 2026”.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan (right) speaks to the media after Jaclyn Symes was sworn in as the state’s new treasurer.Credit: Jason South

Gabrielle Williams, the former minister for government services and consumer affairs, was rewarded with Allan’s former portfolio of transport infrastructure, taking charge of the state’s major projects. She also retains the public and busy transport portfolio.

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny will keep her role and become attorney-general, putting her in charge of two of the most challenging areas of government.

Housing Minister Harriet Shing will expand her responsibilities to include building, the Suburban Rail Loop and Development Victoria, to focus on residential construction.

Over the past six months, the Victorian government has sought to rebrand the SRL to link it more closely to its plans to increase residential density above and around new train stations, labelling it the nation’s biggest housing project.

Several ministers on Thursday described Shing’s responsibilities as a housing “super portfolio” and said Allan had used the reshuffle to reinforce it as a fundamental priority for her government. New cabinet appointee Nick Staikos will take on consumer affairs, which oversees the rental market.

“We are going to drive that housing agenda to get more millennials into homes, to build more townhouses, to put more homes in those activity centres, exactly the right place where more homes should be built,” Allan said.

The changes leave Danny Pearson, who previously looked after transport infrastructure and the SRL, with the economic growth, jobs and finance portfolios.

Allan rejected suggestions she had demoted Pearson and said his responsibilities were vital to another key government priority of creating jobs and expanding the state’s economy.

However, five Labor Party sources – speaking anonymously to detail internal matters – said Allan’s cabinet choices were influenced by several candidates for treasurer being reluctant to take the role, with some viewing Pearson’s reduced portfolio load as punishment.

Allan on Thursday did not answer when asked if Pearson had been offered the position of treasurer, made vacant when Tim Pallas quit after a decade in the role.

Labor sources said the decision to give Deputy Premier Ben Carroll WorkSafe and the Transport Accident Commission on top of education was a “landmine”. The insurance portfolios are financially challenged, and unions remain upset over the government’s decision to limit WorkCover claims for stress and burnout.

By accepting the role of treasurer, Symes takes control of a budget projected to hit a net debt of $187.3 billion by 2028.

She said she was excited by the challenge and enjoyed fixing things.

“I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be easy,” Symes said. “I have an enormous amount of respect for Tim [Pallas], but I’m a very different person. I’ll bring a different approach.”

Symes said she would be consultative across the private sector, government and community as she took on the challenging role of balancing the budget while handling cost-of-living pressures.

She also referred to her limited amount of business experience before entering politics.

Jaclyn Symes (left) was sworn in as the state’s first female treasurer by Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner.Credit: AAP

“I’m not going to pretend that running an ice creamery in Benalla or [doing] taxation law at university gives me the economic credentials that some others have had in the private sector,” Symes said.

“But what I have been doing is spending the last five years at the expenditure review committee table, I have been making the decisions, along with the collection of ministers about the things that are important to Victorians.”

Symes is Victoria’s first woman treasurer. While the cabinet’s gender balance is unchanged with two-thirds women, the reshuffle sees several female ministers elevated to more senior positions, including those central to the government’s agenda.

“This is absolutely the team that is going to drive that focus through to 2026,” Allan said.

Jacinta Allan and Jaclyn Symes on Thursday.Credit: Jason South

“Focused on Victorian families, focused on Victorian jobs, focused on getting Victorians into a home, and focused on building the infrastructure our city and state need.”

The reshuffle will also give Labor a clean run in the new year to prepare for the 2026 election, which is shaping up to be a genuine contest.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the reshuffle offered an opportunity to reinvigorate Victoria and deliver priorities outlined in this month’s economic growth statement.

Shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell said he had a good working relationship with Symes and congratulated her on the appointment.

But he said that by saying she liked fixing things, she was admitting the budget was “stuffed”. He said Symes should be judged on whether the cost-of-living burden is eased for Victorians.

“It’s a new day, a new treasurer, but it’s the same tired Labor government that has been in charge of this state for the last 10 years,” he said.

Rowswell said he couldn’t think of a worse example of “economic vandalism” than Symes recommitting to the SRL on the first day of the job.

The new ministry was sworn in at Government House on Thursday morning.

Colin Brooks will oversee industry, advanced manufacturing and creative industries. Police and Racing Minister Anthony Carbines will also take on the community safety and victims portfolios.

Enver Erdogan lost the victim support part of his portfolio, but retains corrections and will also take on casino, gaming and liquor regulation.

Melissa Horne lost the local government, casino, gaming and liquor regulation portfolios, but keeps ports and freight and picks up health infrastructure.

As revealed on Wednesday, Natalie Hutchins picked up government services and family violence prevention, but lost the jobs and industry portfolio. She retains her role as minister for treaty and First Peoples and the portfolio for women.

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