Jaclyn Symes to be Victoria’s first female treasurer

Regional MP Jaclyn Symes will on Thursday be sworn in as the state’s first female treasurer, taking on the role after Tim Pallas announced his resignation.

Jaclyn Symes now has the job of driving down the state’s eye-watering debt. Picture: Diego Fedele

Jaclyn Symes will be announced as Victoria’s first female Treasurer, replacing Tim Pallas who this week called time on his 18-year political career.

The regional MP, who is currently the state’s Attorney-General where she has overseen key bail-law changes, will now shift focus to the mammoth task of driving down the state’s eye-watering debt.

Premier Jacinta Allan will on Thursday unveil her new-look cabinet, which sources said could be a major reshuffle sparked by Mr Pallas’s resignation.

Ms Symes is widely regarded as one of the government’s most competent operators, with colleagues welcoming the decision to elevate her into the senior role.

Jaclyn Symes is currently Victoria’s Attorney-General. Picture: Alison Wynd

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll was widely tipped as a safe pair of hands to do the job but it’s understood he didn’t want to take on the role.

One close colleague on Wednesday night said Ms Symes would bring “new ­energy and ideas” to the role, and pointed to the fact that, like Ms Allan, she is a regional Victorian and mother of two.

Another MP, speaking anonymously, said: “Jaclyn is a solid parliamentary performer and has been an effective AG. She will lead from the centre with strong financial management, something that is critical right now.”

For the past four years, Ms Symes has served as Attorney-General and in 2021 also picked up the Emergency Services portfolio.

Jacinta Allan with Jaclyn Symes. Picture: Ian Currie

First elected to parliament in 2014 when Daniel Andrews became Premier, Ms Symes is also the leader of the government in the upper house.

Some colleagues have suggested it may be difficult to perform Treasurer duties in a different chamber to the Premier and Deputy Premier, who both sit in the lower house, but it has been done ­before – by John Lenders, treasurer between 2007 and 2010 in the Brumby government.

Prior to becoming ­Attorney-General, Ms Symes served as the resources, agriculture and regional development minister.

Before entering parliament, she worked in the office of former deputy premier Rob Hulls and was a lawyer and industrial officer at the Australian Services Union.

Multiple sources are suggesting that Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny – a personal favourite of Ms Allan – could be promoted to attorney-­general.

Bentleigh MP Nick Staikos will be sworn in as the newest minister in cabinet, filling the vacancy left by Mr Pallas.

Mr Staikos said he was thrilled to be joining Ms Allan’s ministry and was “ready to serve in any portfolio”.

Mr Pallas’s departure came just days after he delivered a “horror” mid-year budget ­update that outlined the state’s deficit had ballooned by a ­further $1.4bn to $3.6bn this ­financial year.

It also came just a fortnight after the Business Council of Australia declared Victoria the worst state to do business in, due to the amount of red tape and taxes.