Shannon Deery: Injecting room move may be defining moment for Jacinta Allan

Dumping plans for Melbourne’s second injecting room is the biggest independent step Jacinta Allan has taken since becoming Premier — and it marks a clear pivot from Daniel Andrews’ leadership.

Dumping Melbourne’s proposed second injecting room could prove to be Jacinta Allan’s defining moment.

It is unquestionably the single biggest independent step she’s taken in the six months since taking the reins of Victoria’s top job.

And it marks a clear pivot from the previous leadership under Daniel Andrews.

Allan is no champion of radical social reform.

Under her watch the government has walked away from banning duck hunting, backflipped on major bail reforms, and wound back plans to introduce electronic monitoring for young parolees.

Close observers of the Premier have noted she takes a much more conservative view of social policies. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Close observers of the Premier have noted she takes a much more conservative view of social policies.

They say she is no fan of the government’s current gas policy, and is uncertain about forging ahead with raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.

A potential problem is she presides over a Cabinet that remains far to the left of her ideologically.

And without the authority that Andrews commanded by way of his rule with an iron fist mentality, Allan’s leadership is in a far more precarious position.

Allan’s declaration that drug injecting rooms are no longer on her government’s agenda could be just the shot in the arm her leadership needs. Picture Andrew Tauber

Still, in today’s decisions, she has shown she wants to forge her own path as leader, not as merely a former deputy and apprentice to Andrews.

Her declaration that drug injecting rooms are no longer on her government’s agenda could be just the shot in the arm her leadership needs.

In today’s decisions, Allan has shown she wants to forge her own path as leader, not as merely a former deputy and apprentice to Andrews. Picture: David Geraghty

Politically, Allan knows an injecting room in the middle of a city trying to drag itself out of a post-Covid lull is a poisoned chalice.

Look to the North Richmond facility to know how politically damaging the idea is.

Since it first opened its doors in 2018 the government has faced near-constant backlash from locals, business owners and families of children who attend the neighbouring school.

A honeypot facility in the middle of the CBD would have attracted more problems, threatened tourism, and angered a vast section of the community.. Picture: Mark Stewart

In that time police and ambulance triple-0 call-outs to the street more than doubled.

A honeypot facility in the middle of the CBD would have attracted more problems, threatened tourism, and angered a vast section of the community.

The move is politically convenient, but it speaks to a common sense approach being brought by the new Premier.

Where Allan may fall down though is in what is emerging as a pattern of going against recommended advice.

We’ve seen it with duck hunting, on bail reforms and now with this second injecting facility.

But in the court of public opinion, Allan may score points for leading and standing by her decisions rather than blindly accepting advice, and passing blame to others.