Allan – a member of the Socialist Left – is known as a hard worker with a combative streak,who gives as good as she gets,particularly in the rough and tumble of question time as leader of the house.
Ben Carroll
Before Andrews’ public intervention on Friday,Roads Minister Ben Carroll,46,was seen as a leading contender for deputy. That seems all but dashed now.
Hailing from Labor’s Right faction,Carroll worked as a solicitor for North Melbourne Legal Services and an adviser for former senator Stephen Conroy,former premier Steve Bracks and former MP Justin Madden before entering parliament in 2012 as the member for Niddrie.
He will take responsibility for jobs,precincts and regions under the reshuffle.
Colin Brooks
Speaker of the lower house,Colin Brooks – “Brooksie” to his mates – is also a member of the Right faction. He trained as an electrician and worked as an electorate officer and ministerial adviser before entering parliament in 2006 as the MP for Bundoora.
Brooks is seen as a competent speaker,who has an open-door policy to colleagues.
He has been a champion of Aboriginal Change Makers,a teaching resource for Victorian schools,which prompts students to consider Victorian history through the eyes and experiences of Aboriginal peoples.
Sonya Kilkenny
Sonya Kilkenny,53,is known as an effective local member,taking Carrum from an ultra-marginal electorate on 0.7 per cent to a safe Labor seat on an 11 per cent swing after preferences in 2018.
Hailing from the Left,Kilkenny was appointed parliamentary secretary for early childhood education in 2018 and cabinet secretary in 2020.
She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne and has done legal work for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and Kimberly Land Council. Before her election,she was head of legal disputes at ANZ Banking Group.
Harriet Shing
Victoria’s only openly lesbian MP,45-year-old Harriet Shing is in a long-term relationship with Premier Daniel Andrews’ chief of staff,Lissie Ratcliff.
The member for Eastern Victoria,Shing worked as a lawyer,industrial officer and adviser before entering parliament in the class of 2014.
The parliamentary secretary is a member of the party’s Socialist Left and a close ally of Andrews. Andews has been frustrated by failed attempts in the past to promote her into the ministry. He will be expecting success this time around.
Steve Dimopoulos
Steve Dimopoulos,member for Oakleigh,is part of the Right faction and aligned with the National Union of Workers grouping. He was a manager at Court Services Victoria and in the departments of Justice and Planning and Community Development before entering parliament.
Dimopoulos,49,is another member of the class of 2014 and serves as a parliamentary secretary to the premier.
Before entering parliament,he was a councillor and mayor of the City of Monash and worked as a public servant in the departments of Justice,Premier and Cabinet.
In April,he was one of 228 names on a list of people banned from entering Russia for “unfriendly actions” against Putin’s regime. In 2019,he was forced to apologise for using foul language,when he recited in parliament abuse that he,Andrews and Allan had received online,including “f---” and “unwashed c---”. Brooks,as speaker,chastised Dimopoulos for using unparliamentary language.
Lizzie Blandthorn
Pascoe Vale MP Lizzie Blandthorn,44,is a member of the Right faction and destined for the upper house at the election. She’s seen by one colleague as a “lock” for a promotion.
Blandthorn was elected in 2014,after working as chief of staff to Merlino and a Shop,Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) organiser.
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She opposed Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying legislation,which she described as being incompatible with human rights,and was praised by Right to Life as being one of the “good guys” during the debate. She has also spoken out against duck hunting.
She is the goddaughter and former political staffer of Christine Campbell,who also served as MP for Pascoe Vale.
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