Source : Perth Now news
A trio of senior state ministers have announced their retirements, triggering a pre-election reshuffle.
Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Finance Minister Danny Pearson and Water Minister Gayle Tierney on Monday confirmed they will immediately exit cabinet before quitting parliament in November.
Premier Jacinta Allan, who has faced internal factional pressure over her leadership amid poor polling, said Labor MPs would meet on Tuesday to decide new appointments.
Ms Thomas entered Victorian parliament when Daniel Andrews led Labor back to government in 2014, becoming health minister at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2022.
Mr Pearson was in the same MP intake and has served in a dozen roles since 2020, including transport infrastructure minister and assistant treasurer.
Ms Tierney has been in Victoria’s upper house since 2006 and spent almost seven years as training and skills minister from 2016 to 2023.
Each has left an indelible mark on Victoria, the state government and the Labor movement, the premier said.
“I am grateful for all they’ve done and everything they’ve achieved and for that I say thank you to each of them,” she said.
Their resignations follow Natalie Hutchins leaving cabinet and announcing she will not recontest the November state election.
“Portfolio arrangements will be confirmed very soon and the new ministry will be sworn in in due course,” Ms Allan said.
It is expected to be the premier’s last frontbench reset in the lead up to November, with Victorian Labor pushing for a historic fourth term in power.
Luba Grigorovitch, Paul Edbrooke, Michaela Settle, Tim Richardson and Paul Hamer are among backbenchers in the frame for promotion.
Ms Grigorovitch was a friend of former Victorian CFMEU secretary John Setka, who was charged in February with sending threatening emails to a staff member from the union’s administrator.
Setka attended her wedding to private equity partner Ben Gray at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula in 2023.
Ms Grigorovitch said she was “quite close” with Sekta during her time as Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary and hadn’t spoke to him in “quite a while”.
“If the allegations are true, he will have his day in court,” she told reporters in February.
Bentleigh MP Nick Staikos was the last backbencher elevated to cabinet in December 2024 following the retirement of long-time treasurer Tim Pallas.
