Victorian Cabinet Reshuffle

On April 15, 2026, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced a cabinet reshuffle, prompted by the resignations of three ministers. Two days earlier, Ministers Danny Pearson, Mary-Anne Thomas, and Gayle Tierney announced their departure from their positions and confirmed they would not seek re-election in the upcoming November state election. Former Minister Natalie Hutchins announced her resignation at the end of 2025. The refreshed cabinet announced today sees four new faces on the frontbench: Luba Grigorovitch, Paul Edbrooke, Micheala Settle and Paul Hamer. 

Significant shifts have occurred across the entire cabinet, in addition to the incoming ministers. Harriet Shing will now serve as Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, replacing Mary-Anne Thomas. Nick Staikos will assume Shing’s former responsibilities for Housing and Building, and the Suburban Rail Loop. 

Ingrid Stitt is now Special Minister for State, also overseeing the Government Services and Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria portfolios. 

New minister Paul Edbrooke is the now the Minister for Consumer Affairs. He also takes on three newly established portfolios; Cost of Living, Renters, and Men and Boys. Paul Hamer will become Minister for Youth Justice and Minister for Corrections, as well as the Minister for Local Government. Luba Grigorovitch will become the Minister for Youth and Minister for Carers and Volunteers, and Micheala Settle takes on Regional Development and Minister for Agriculture. 

Gabrielle Williams adds the Women and Girls portfolio to her responsibilities. Steve Dimopoulos will become Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, in addition to his work as the Minister for Sport and Major Events. This change sees Dimopoulos as the new coordinating Minister for the Department of Jobs, Skills Industry and Regions.  

Enver Erdogan takes on the Environment and the Outdoor Recreation portfolios in addition to his current role as Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation.  

Colin Brooks will continue to serve as Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, in addition to the portfolios of Defence Industry and Skills and TAFE. Vicki Ward has taken on Brooks’ portfolio of Creative Industries. Jaclyn Symes has added Development Victoria to her current portfolio.  

Natalie Suleyman will add Tourism to her portfolio, alongside Veterans, Employment and Small and Family Business. Melissa Horne takes on the Prevention of Family Violence portfolio, as Ros Spence becomes the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the role of Minister for First Peoples.  

Sonya Kilkenny has assumed the Finance and Violence Reduction portfolios, while retaining the Attorney General and Planning portfolios. Ben Carroll has been appointed as the Minister for Medical Research, seeing a return of the portfolio to cabinet. This is in addition to the positions he held in the former ministry.   

Alongside these changes, Tim Richardson replaces retiring MP Steve McGhie as Cabinet Secretary. Anthony Carbines takes on the role as Leader of the House.  

Further Information 

For more information, please contact Hawker Britton’s Partner’s Emma Webster on [email protected] and Andy Gargett on +61 427 552 980 or at [email protected]  

Additional Occasional Papers published by Hawker Britton are available here. 

ALLAN MINISTRY | April 2026