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Premier of Victoria
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Premier of Victoria
The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and command confidence in the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria. The premier is usually the leader of the political party that holds a majority of lower house members.
Each premier since 1933, apart from short-serving Premier Ian Macfarlan, has had a portrait commissioned for the Victorian Parliament's portrait collection. The tradition was initiated by Legislative Council President Fred Grimwade. Premiers who have served for over 3,000 days have a statue created in their honor. As of 2024, six premiers have achieved this milestone and four have their statues near the premier's office at 1 Treasury Place.
The longest-serving premier is Henry Bolte of the Liberal Party, who served for over 17 years. The shortest-serving premier is George Elmslie, first premier from the Labor Party, who served for 13 days. The current premier is Jacinta Allan of the Labor Party, who assumed the office on 27 September 2023 following the resignation of Daniel Andrews.
The first meeting of the Legislative Council was on 11 November 1851, at St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street West, with its primary focus the drafting of a constitution, for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's approval, to separate the Port Phillip District from New South Wales. Responsible government was established in 1855, when the constitution was passed by the British Parliament and received royal assent. This allowed Victoria to become its own colony, named after the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. Governor Charles Hotham appointed William Haines to be Victoria's first premier on 28 November 1855, with the first election, provided for by the Electoral Act 1856, organised the following year.
Victoria's first election saw Haines re-appointed as premier, and the election also marked the beginning of Victoria's bicameral system. The first sitting of parliament was on 25 November 1856, taking place in Parliament House, Melbourne.
Initially, formal political parties did not exist. Every member of parliament (MP) was an independent, making it difficult for an MP to command the confidence of the Legislative Assembly. Between 1855 and 1863, there were seven changes of government, and eleven instances where Governor Henry Barkly was unable to find neither an MP who would be willing to serve as premier, nor an MP who could form a ministry.
From Australia's federation in 1901 until the 1950s, Victorian political history was marked by instability, with 24 changes in government during that time. Henry Bolte, then leader of the Liberal Party, won the 1955 election, and went on to serve as premier for 17 years and 83 days becoming the longest serving premier to date. Following Bolte, two more Liberal Party leaders, Rupert Hamer and Lindsay Thompson, would serve as premier, before the Labor Party won government in 1982 with John Cain, whose father had also served as Premier. Cain resigned from the office of premier in 1990 and was succeeded by Joan Kirner, Victoria's first female premier. Between 2014 and 2023, Daniel Andrews served as premier, winning three elections before resigning in favour of current premier, Jacinta Allan.
A premier must hold a seat in the Legislative Assembly and have the support of a majority of lower house members. This is usually the leader of the political party or coalition with the majority of lower house seats. In the event of a minority government, where the government does not hold a majority of seats, the government is formed by a party and the support of crossbenchers, usually through commitments of confidence and supply to the party they wish to form government.
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Premier of Victoria
The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and command confidence in the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria. The premier is usually the leader of the political party that holds a majority of lower house members.
Each premier since 1933, apart from short-serving Premier Ian Macfarlan, has had a portrait commissioned for the Victorian Parliament's portrait collection. The tradition was initiated by Legislative Council President Fred Grimwade. Premiers who have served for over 3,000 days have a statue created in their honor. As of 2024, six premiers have achieved this milestone and four have their statues near the premier's office at 1 Treasury Place.
The longest-serving premier is Henry Bolte of the Liberal Party, who served for over 17 years. The shortest-serving premier is George Elmslie, first premier from the Labor Party, who served for 13 days. The current premier is Jacinta Allan of the Labor Party, who assumed the office on 27 September 2023 following the resignation of Daniel Andrews.
The first meeting of the Legislative Council was on 11 November 1851, at St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street West, with its primary focus the drafting of a constitution, for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's approval, to separate the Port Phillip District from New South Wales. Responsible government was established in 1855, when the constitution was passed by the British Parliament and received royal assent. This allowed Victoria to become its own colony, named after the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. Governor Charles Hotham appointed William Haines to be Victoria's first premier on 28 November 1855, with the first election, provided for by the Electoral Act 1856, organised the following year.
Victoria's first election saw Haines re-appointed as premier, and the election also marked the beginning of Victoria's bicameral system. The first sitting of parliament was on 25 November 1856, taking place in Parliament House, Melbourne.
Initially, formal political parties did not exist. Every member of parliament (MP) was an independent, making it difficult for an MP to command the confidence of the Legislative Assembly. Between 1855 and 1863, there were seven changes of government, and eleven instances where Governor Henry Barkly was unable to find neither an MP who would be willing to serve as premier, nor an MP who could form a ministry.
From Australia's federation in 1901 until the 1950s, Victorian political history was marked by instability, with 24 changes in government during that time. Henry Bolte, then leader of the Liberal Party, won the 1955 election, and went on to serve as premier for 17 years and 83 days becoming the longest serving premier to date. Following Bolte, two more Liberal Party leaders, Rupert Hamer and Lindsay Thompson, would serve as premier, before the Labor Party won government in 1982 with John Cain, whose father had also served as Premier. Cain resigned from the office of premier in 1990 and was succeeded by Joan Kirner, Victoria's first female premier. Between 2014 and 2023, Daniel Andrews served as premier, winning three elections before resigning in favour of current premier, Jacinta Allan.
A premier must hold a seat in the Legislative Assembly and have the support of a majority of lower house members. This is usually the leader of the political party or coalition with the majority of lower house seats. In the event of a minority government, where the government does not hold a majority of seats, the government is formed by a party and the support of crossbenchers, usually through commitments of confidence and supply to the party they wish to form government.
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