Jacinta Allan’s chief of staff has resigned, with rumours of an office reshuffle swirling

Premier Jacinta Allan’s chief of staff Matt Phelan has walked out, following months of complaints from inside Labor about the way her office has operated.

Jacinta Allan’s chief of staff has quit amid a rumoured shake-up of the Premier’s Office.

Ms Allan’s most senior adviser, Matt Phelan, announced his resignation on Friday saying he was leaving the job for personal reasons.

Diana Tremigliozzi, who worked as Ms Allan’s chief of staff before she became premier, will lead the office in an acting capacity while a replacement is found.

At the same time Ms Allan’s deputy chief of staff, Jess Lindell, is preparing to leave the office for a period of maternity leave.

The Premier’s Office has externally appointed Damien Karmelich to start later this month as Ms Lindell’s replacement.

Mr Karmelich has worked in the private sector in political advisory and campaign management roles, as well as corporate and financial communications including with start-ups in Australia and the United States.

It’s understood Ms Lindell plans to return to the role within three to six months of giving birth.

A government spokeswoman said Mr Phelan had decided to step down to “focus on his family”.

“Matt’s leadership and dedication have been crucial in driving the government’s agenda forward over the past 18 months and he has inspired the entire team with his passion for public service and the people of Victoria,” she said.

“We thank him for his dedication to the Premier and to the community.”

Labor faces an electoral wipe-out with polling showing the party has sunk to a record low. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Phelan’s final day in the Premier’s office will be Friday March 21.

The spokeswoman confirmed that Ms Tremigliozzi would serve as acting chief of staff until a permanent appointment was made.

“Diana is an extremely experienced and capable chief who is well known across government,” she said.

The office shake-up comes at a critical time for Ms Allan, with polling showing Labor has sunk to record lows.

If replicated at the 2026 state election, Labor would face an electoral wipe-out.

Internal critics of Ms Allan’s leadership have for months complained about the way in which her office had operated.

She had come under increasing pressure to make significant changes to the team in order to reinvigorate the government’s prospects.

Despite that pressure, senior government sources insisted Mr Phelan’s decision to quit the top job was his alone.

Mr Phelan ran the office of Major Transport Infrastructure Authority boss Kevin Devlin before being announced as the Premier’s new chief-of-staff in October 2023.

He helped Ms Allan set up her ministerial office in 2014 having first joined Labor while in opposition in 1997.

Before that he worked briefly as a journalist for the Herald Sun.

Premier Jacinta Allan’s chief of staff has resigned. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The beginning of the Allan administration was marred by what critics dubbed a “chaotic transition” caused, in part, by a delay in Ms Allan setting up her new office.

Ms Tremigliozzi previously served as Ms Allan’s chief of staff between April 2020 and November 2023 when she was deputy Premier and Transport Infrastructure Minister.

Since June 2024, she has served as the Land Coordinator General at the Department of Transport and Planning.

The opposition capitalised on the high-profile departure.

“While Victorians are struggling with rising crime and cost-of-living pressures, Labor is too busy managing its own internal crisis,” a spokesman said.

“The Allan Labor government is consumed by chaos and dysfunction.”

As at 3.30pm, Labor MPs still hadn’t been formally notified by the Premier’s office about Mr Phelan’s departure.

Several MPs, speaking anonymously, said they were frustrated by the lack of communication from Ms Allan and her senior staff.

“It’s so disrespectful,” one said.

Another said: “We all learned about it from the Herald Sun.”

Originally published as Jacinta Allan’s chief of staff has resigned, with rumours of an office reshuffle swirling