Four Labor MPs have been elevated to cabinet in a pre-election reshuffle by the Victorian government, just weeks ahead of the state budget and months out from the November poll.
Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch, Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke, Eureka MP Michaela Settle and Box Hill MP Paul Hamer were elected to the ministry during a caucus meeting on Tuesday.
They are expected to take on portfolios ahead of the May 5 budget, forming part of the leadership team Premier Jacinta Allan will lead into the election.
The appointments follow the departures of senior ministers, including Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Finance Minister Danny Pearson and Water Minister Gayle Tierney, who have confirmed they will not contest the upcoming election. Natalie Hutchins had earlier announced her retirement.
Grigorovitch, a former Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary, entered parliament in 2022. Edbrooke, elected in 2014, has a background as a firefighter and teacher. Settle, a regional MP, previously ran a family sheep farm, while Hamer, a civil engineer, secured a traditionally Liberal seat in Melbourne’s east in 2018.
Hamer’s elevation followed a closely contested internal vote against Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson.
A broader cabinet reshuffle is expected to be finalised shortly, with Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt among those tipped for a potential move into the key health portfolio.
The changes mark a generational shift within the government, with Allan and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio now the only remaining members of Daniel Andrews’ original 2014 cabinet.
Source: The Age
