Women spearhead Daniel Andrews’ new-look cabinet

Daniel Andrews has unveiled his 50 per cent female cabinet, Philip Dalidakis dumped to make way for more women.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews with his new-look cabinet.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has unveiled his new 50 per cent female cabinet, dumping small business, innovation and trade minister Philip Dalidakis to make way for more women.

Describing the quota of women as “history being made in the progressive capital of our nation,” Mr Andrews was flanked by the new members of his cabinet: Melissa Horne, Jaclyn Symes, Gabrielle Williams and Adem Somyurek.

Member for Williamstown Ms Horne enters parliament having left her job as strategic communications director for the Level Crossing Removal Authority, Northern Victoria MLC Ms Symes has been promoted from upper house whip, and Member for Dandenong Ms Williams moves into cabinet after serving as parliamentary secretary for health and carers.

Mr Somyurek returns to cabinet after he was forced to resign as small business minister in 2015 over bullying allegations from his chief of staff amid a Labor factional war.

The Palaszczuk Labor government in Queensland became the first government, state or federal, to reach 50 per cent female representation in cabinet in 2017.

“You have all heard me say many times that in Victoria, equality is not negotiable, and today my colleagues have delivered something that has never been achieved in the history of our state: 50 per cent of the cabinet are women,” Mr Andrews said.

“There is an equality agenda in our state’s most important decision-making body. I’m very proud of that.

Members of the Victorian Labor Party applaud Premier Daniel Andrews as he arrives for their first caucus meeting following Saturday’s election win. Picture: AAP

“This whole campaign has been about doing the things you said you’d do, and when we’ve talked about gender equity, when we’ve talked about better attitudes to women leading to better outcomes for women, we have meant it, every single time.”

Thanking Mr Dalidakis for stepping aside, Mr Andrews said a “big structural change” like 50 per cent female representation wasn’t easy.

“Something has to give. If we’re going to have more women in the cabinet and an equal number of women in the cabinet to men, then logic tells you that a number of men cannot be returned to those positions,” he said.

“I am deeply grateful to Philip Dalidakis for the work that he’s done, and for the very gracious, very generous manner in which he has, if you like, underpinned, and to be honest been able to facilitate this really good outcome, something that’s never happened in our state before.

“Philip has a very bright future and I think he’ll have opportunities to contribute in the future, that he will do very well.”

Mr Andrews thanked tourism, sport and veterans’ affairs minister John Eren and industrial relations, women, prevention of family violence and aboriginal affairs minister Natalie Hutchins, who have both resigned from the ministry for personal reasons.

Ms Hutchins will become a parliamentary secretary, with responsibility for administering the state’s treaty with aboriginal Victorians.

Mr Andrews’ new-look cabinet has a 50:50 gender split. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Cabinet positions were confirmed at a caucus meeting today, but Mr Andrews said he would not be announcing portfolio responsibilities and parliamentary secretary positions until tomorrow or early Thursday.

James Merlino and Gavin Jennings will remain as deputy premier and upper house leader respectively, with Ms Symes to serve as Mr Jennings’s deputy.

Mr Andrews said there would be a total of 14 parliamentary secretaries, with a 50:50 gender balance.

Among those expected to be named as parliamentary secretaries are Member for Essendon Danny Pearson and former Member for Brunswick and now upper house Member for Eastern Victoria Jane Garrett, who resigned as Emergency Services Minister in 2016 at the height of a dispute which saw Mr Andrews side with the United Firefighters Union against Ms Garrett.

Tim Pallas, Martin Pakula, Gayle Tierney, Richard Wynne, Robin Scott, Martin Foley, Marlene Kairouz, Luke Donnellan, Lisa Neville, Lily D’Ambrosio, Jill Hennessy, Jenny Mikakos, Jacinta Allan, Jaala Pulford and Ben Carroll will all remain in cabinet, although some of their portfolios may change.

With counting continuing in the upper house and Ms Symes’s election yet to be confirmed, Mr Andrews said the caucus had made its decision to promote Ms Symes to cabinet, but it was yet to be ratified.

“We won’t go to Government House in relation to Jaclyn until we’ve got more numbers and some greater certainty,” he said.

“I think that’s probably the wisest thing to do. That count is tight, as are many, many others.”

Ms Williams said it was “hugely significant” to be part of the first 50:50 Victorian cabinet.

“My great grandfather named all of his children after (suffragette leader) Emmeline Pankhurst’s children, so to be a part of that story and a part of the first government to have 50:50 representation is just remarkable,” she said.