She’s not yet 50 but Jacinta Allan, or JA, as she is known, already has an almost unmatched political CV. But her rise has been anything but meteoric, writes Annika Smethurst | OPINOIN
She’s not yet 50 but Jacinta Allan, or JA, as she is known, already has an almost unmatched political CV.
And, in a time she’d no doubt prefer to forget, the member for Bendigo East served as acting premier in late 2020 and early 2021 when Victoria abruptly shut its border with NSW, on New Year’s Eve, leaving thousands stranded.On Monday, she will be sworn in as deputy premier, only the second woman in Victoria to hold the post, and she is one day tipped to replace Andrews as the next Labor leader.
Much of that has to do with her sometimes abrupt manner and no-nonsense ways, oddly a criticism rarely levelled at men. Supporters believe Allan has mellowed recently but also admire her for being willing to “have a whack” when it’s needed. A decade on, politics is still a numbers game, and being a talented and experienced minister is simply not enough. What was needed was a wider factional agreement.
While sanguine about the current arrangements, the Right believe the Left-Right balance will be restored once Andrews says goodbye to Spring Street.
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