Two senior Victorian Labor ministers announced they won't recontest their seats at November's election, compounding the leadership turmoil that's gripped the state government this week. Harriet Shing and Lily D'Ambrosio stepped down from cabinet Thursday, leaving newly installed Premier Ben Carroll scrambling to fill three vacancies in a faction-divided government.
The departures come just days after Jacinta Allan stood down as premier Tuesday. They're creating headaches for Carroll, who'd already promised one cabinet position to Tim Richardson and now faces persistent haggling among backbenchers over the remaining spots. A caucus meeting Monday will determine new appointments, though the premier said portfolio arrangements would be confirmed "very soon."
The Political Calculus
Shing, who's served as health minister since first being elected 12 years ago in 2014, was a close ally of Allan. But she held the second position on Labor's upper house ticket at the 2022 election four years ago. That left her vulnerable to losing her seat in November, given Labor expects to suffer a swing. Some Labor figures argued that abolishing group voting tickets could shore up candidates in the second position, revealing the internal maneuvering over electoral survival.
In her statement, Shing said she was proud of the party's achievements but that it was time to "pass these opportunities and obligations on to the next person." She urged support for Carroll as he takes the government "into the all-important contest against the Liberal Party and One Nation in November."
D'Ambrosio's Energy Legacy
D'Ambrosio reflected on 24 years representing Mill Park and nearly four as "Australia's longest serving Energy and Climate Minister." She said her proudest achievement was overseeing the energy transition to renewable power. When Labor returned to office 12 years ago in 2014, renewable power was less than 11 percent. Now 45 percent of energy comes from renewable sources. "Where Victoria has gone, the rest of the country has followed," she said.
Independent not-for-profit organisation Environment Victoria congratulated D'Ambrosio for "an incredible career." Chief executive Jono La Nauze said, "When D'Ambrosio came to office, Victoria had the dirtiest power system in the country and many thought rapid decarbonisation was next to impossible." He added that "her reforms saved Victorian households millions of dollars in the process."
D'Ambrosio encouraged women and girls to follow their dreams in politics. "I hope that my life in public service shows all girls what is possible for them no matter their faith, what they look like or the way they speak," she said. She's been in government for 20 of her 24 years in office and said she hoped a local woman would replace her as the Labor candidate in Mill Park.
The Last of an Era
Her exit is significant. D'Ambrosio is the last remaining minister from Daniel Andrews' first cabinet in 2014 and, along with Jacinta Allan, the last remaining of the Labor MPs from the Bracks-Brumby government. Her departure closes a chapter on Victoria's Labor dynasty that's dominated state politics for two decades.
The three vacancies now sit with the Left faction. Further resignations were speculated Thursday as backbenchers haggled over cabinet positions. Carroll said Victorians were "calling for a new direction" and that he would deliver that.
Premier Carroll thanked both colleagues for their service. "Over many years of dedicated service, they have brought compassion, determination and a strong sense of purpose to their roles, delivering outcomes that have improved the lives of Victorians and strengthened the communities they represent," he said.
Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari described D'Ambrosio as "a fierce fighter & hard working minister." He said Shing "is a true believer, who put on her boxing gloves each morning to fight Liberals." "She played an important role in the struggle for equality, a lasting legacy for our great state," he said.
Why This Matters:
The simultaneous departure of two senior ministers just months before an election signals deeper instability within Victorian Labor. With Carroll already facing the challenge of replacing Allan and now scrambling to fill three cabinet vacancies, the government enters campaign mode weakened and divided. The factional haggling over positions reveals a party more focused on internal power dynamics than governing. For Victorian voters facing cost-of-living pressures and concerns about government spending after years of Labor dominance, these exits underscore questions about whether the party has exhausted its reform agenda. The transition also removes institutional memory from cabinet at a critical time, with D'Ambrosio representing the last link to the Bracks-Brumby era that established Labor's current hold on power.