Australia's Victoria state premier resigns ahead of November election

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan resigned Tuesday, stepping down as leader of Australia's second-most populous state just months before a crucial November election. Allan, who has led the centre-left Labor Party government since 2023, cited a desire to avoid destabilizing the party so close to the election.

Her departure follows a steady decline in approval ratings, attributed to a sluggish economy and voter fatigue after 12 years of Labor in power. Most pre-resignation polls predicted a victory for the centre-right Liberal Party. However, some forecasts suggested the Liberals might need the support of the right-wing One Nation party to form a government, a prospect Allan had identified as the "biggest risk" of the election.

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That remains the biggest risk at this election: a One Nation-Liberal coalition government.

State lawmakers within the Labor Party are expected to elect a new leader this week. Allan stated she believed she could have won a potential leadership challenge but chose not to expend valuable resources, particularly time, so close to the election.

The upcoming election is being closely watched as a gauge of One Nation's rising influence. Founded in 1997, the party, led by Pauline Hanson, has shifted from the fringe to gain traction, largely due to its hardline stance on immigration. Hanson's personal popularity has, in some polls, surpassed that of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This political landscape is further complicated by a recent court ruling rejecting Hanson's appeal against a finding of racial discrimination.

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I believe I would have won, but doing so this close to an election takes up valuable resources, including the most precious one: time.