Victorian premier facing leadership challenge this week

Premier Jacinta Allan faces a leadership challenge this week, four months out from the November state election, despite core supporters talking down the threat of a spill.Factional convenors from both the right and left of the party room met on Sunday night to discuss whether Ms Allan still had the support of a majority of caucus.The ABC understands they agreed she did not.A delegation is mooted to approach Ms Allan to allow her to resign on Monday. If she refuses, her leadership is expected to be challenged at Tuesday's caucus meeting when parliament resumes from the winter break.Cabinet is due to meet on Monday, with plans to set up a new organised crime commission understood to be top of the agenda.But some loyal MPs are still backing Ms Allan, with senior figures proactively telling the ABC on Sunday night the premier was not going anywhere and that the plan to force her to resign would fail.But those pushing for change said the premier should resign or face being blown out of office."At least [former British PM Sir Keir] Starmer knew when to resign,'' one senior figure said.They also questioned the blind loyalty to Ms Allan, whose polling numbers have been dire."It's not a family, it's a team. We have to act for the good of the government and party,'' the MP said.Ms Allan has endured months of speculation about her leadership over worsening poll results and her response to alleged corruption in the taxpayer-funded Big Build.A growing cohort of Labor MPs believe the government needs to launch a royal commission into the scandal, which Ms Allan has ruled out. There is a view among Labor sources that changing leaders would also require a shift in focus.Labor sources have been despairing about the possibility of a wipe-out at the November 28 election, and many had formed the view that Ms Allan was unable to recover in the polls.Members from around the country gathered in Adelaide for the party's national conference, where senior figures debated Ms Allan's position.Deputy Premier Ben Carroll is the most likely candidate to usurp Ms Allan.He has previously ruled out challenging. But if Ms Allan concedes she has lost the support of caucus, this would pave the way for Mr Carroll to become leader through a vacancy.One MP, speaking anonymously, said the view was that the party's position would be "bad with him, but diabolical with her".However, Ms Allan's internal supporters were continuing to hose down the speculation on Sunday night.Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny earlier dismissed the chatter as "idle gossip"."She has my full support," Kilkenny told reporters on Sunday morning.Not all MPs had received a call to test their support for a coup by Sunday night.If caucus forged ahead with a successful spill and Ms Allan still contested a leadership ballot, the entire Victorian Labor membership would get a vote in a weeks-long process."It would be chaos,'' one MP said.MPs opposed to any change say not all caucus members, or sub-factions, have been consulted.One senior was adamant, saying "the premier is not going away. She has the numbers."Others have speculated that the push, and the briefing out to media of the plans, is designed to build momentum, rather than a full majority declaring they want a change of leadership.Ms Allan became premier in September 2023 following the resignation of Daniel Andrews.Her Bendigo East seat is under threat from the Nationals.