Deputy Premier of Victoria

The deputy premier of Victoria is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Victoria. The deputy premier position was created in May 1932, with Robert Menzies being the first person to hold the position. The deputy premier is appointed by the Governor on the advice of the premier. The deputy premier is usually also a minister in the government.

Deputy Premier of Victoria
Victorian Coat of arms
Flag of Victoria
Incumbent Ben Carroll since 2 October 2023
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Parliament Cabinet Executive Council
Reports to	Premier of Victoria
Seat	1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
Nominator	Premier of Victoria
Appointer	Governor of Victoria on the advice of the premier
Term length	At the Governor's pleasure contingent on serving as deputy leader of party or coalition commanding a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly
Formation	19 May 1932
First holder	Robert Menzies
Salary	AU$395,738 (from 1 July 2022)

When the Labor Party forms government, the deputy leader of the Labor parliamentary party typically becomes the deputy premier. The same was the case when the Liberal Party formed government on its own. When the Liberal-National coalition is in government, the deputy premier is usually the leader of the junior coalition partner, the Nationals (or its predecessor, the Country Party). The current deputy premier is Ben Carroll of the Labor Party, who has held the position since 2 October 2023.

Duties

The duties of the deputy premier are to act on behalf of the premier in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The deputy premier has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio (It would be technically possible for a minister to hold only the portfolio of Deputy Premier, but this has never happened).

If the premier were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Governor would normally appoint the deputy premier as acting Premier. If the governing or majority party had not yet elected a new leader, that appointment would be on an interim basis. Should a different leader emerge, that person would then be appointed Premier.

List of deputy premiers of Victoria

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral district (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Party		Premier
			Term start	Term end
1		Robert Menzies MP for Nunawading (1894–1978)	19 May 1932	31 July 1934		United Australia		Sir Stanley Argyle United Australia (1932–1935)
2		Ian Macfarlan MP for Brighton (1881–1964)	31 July 1934	12 March 1935		United Australia
3		Albert Dunstan MP for Korong and Eaglehawk (1882–1950)	12 March 1935	20 March 1935		Country
4		Wilfrid Kent Hughes MP for Kew (1895–1970)	20 March 1935	2 April 1935		United Australia
5		Murray Bourchier MP for Goulbourn Valley (1881–1937)	2 April 1935	24 June 1936		United Country		Albert Dunstan United Country (1935–1943)
6		Francis Old MP for Swan Hill (1875–1950)	30 June 1936	14 October 1937		United Country
7		Albert Lind MP for Gippsland East (1878–1964)	14 October 1937	14 September 1943		United Country
8		Bert Cremean MP for Clifton Hill (1900–1945)	14 September 1943	18 September 1943		Labor		John Cain (Sr.) Labor (1943)
9		Thomas Hollway MP for Ballarat (1906–1971)	18 September 1943	2 October 1945		United Australia (until 1945)		Albert Dunstan United Country (1943–1945)
						Liberal (from 1945)
10		Thomas Maltby MP for Ballarat (1890–1976)	2 October 1945	21 November 1945		Liberal		Ian Macfarlan Liberal (1945)
11		Frank Field MP for Dandenong (1904–1985)	21 November 1945	20 November 1947		Labor		John Cain (Sr.) Labor (1945–1947)
12		John McDonald MP for Shepparton (1896–1977)	20 November 1947	3 December 1948		Country		Thomas Hollway Liberal (until 1949) Liberal and Country (from 1949) (1947–1950)
(4)		Wilfrid Kent Hughes MP for Kew (1895–1970)	3 December 1948	28 October 1949		Liberal (until 1949)
						Liberal and Country (from 1949)
13		Trevor Oldham MP for Malvern (1900–1953)	8 November 1949	27 June 1950		Liberal and Country
14		Keith Dodgshun MP for Rainbow (1893–1971)	27 June 1950	28 October 1952		Country		John McDonald Country (1950–1952)
15		Alexander Dennett MP for Caulfield (1894–1956)	28 October 1952	31 October 1952		Electoral Reform		Thomas Hollway Electoral Reform (1952)
(14)		Keith Dodgshun MP for Rainbow (1893–1971)	31 October 1952	17 December 1952		Country		John McDonald Country (1952)
16		Bill Galvin MP for Bendigo (1903–1966)	17 December 1952	7 June 1955		Labor		John Cain (Sr.) Labor (1952–1955)
17		Sir Arthur Rylah MP for Kew (1909–1974)	7 June 1955	5 March 1971		Liberal and Country (until 1965)		Sir Henry Bolte Liberal and Country (until 1965) Liberal (from 1965) (1955–1972)
						Liberal (from 1965)
18		Rupert Hamer MP for Kew (1916–2004)	21 April 1971	23 August 1972		Liberal
19		Lindsay Thompson MP for Malvern (1923–2008)	23 August 1972	5 June 1981		Liberal		Rupert Hamer Liberal (1972–1981)
20		Bill Borthwick MP for Monbulk (1924–2001)	5 June 1981	8 April 1982		Liberal		Lindsay Thompson Liberal (1981–1982)
21		Robert Fordham MP for Footscray (born 1942)	8 April 1982	31 January 1989		Labor		John Cain (Jr.) Labor (1982–1990)
22		Joan Kirner MP for Williamstown (1938–2015)	7 February 1989	10 August 1990		Labor
23		Jim Kennan MP for Broadmeadows (1946–2010)	10 August 1990	6 October 1992		Labor		Joan Kirner Labor (1990–1992)
24		Pat McNamara MP for Benalla (born 1949)	6 October 1992	21 October 1999		National		Jeff Kennett Liberal (1992–1999)
25		John Thwaites MP for Albert Park (born 1955)	21 October 1999	30 July 2007		Labor		Steve Bracks Labor (1999–2007)
26		Rob Hulls MP for Niddrie (born 1957)	30 July 2007	2 December 2010		Labor		John Brumby Labor (2007–2010)
27		Peter Ryan MP for Gippsland South (born 1950)	2 December 2010	4 December 2014		National		Ted Baillieu Liberal (2010–2013)
								Denis Napthine Liberal (2013–2014)
28		James Merlino MP for Monbulk (born 1972)	4 December 2014	27 June 2022		Labor		Daniel Andrews Labor (2014–2023)
29		Jacinta Allan MP for Bendigo East (born 1973)	27 June 2022	27 September 2023		Labor
30		Ben Carroll MP for Niddrie (born 1975)	2 October 2023	Incumbent		Labor		Jacinta Allan Labor (since 2023)

Notable careers

Among the most notable former deputy premiers of Victoria have been Robert Menzies (1932–1934) who went on to become the longest serving prime minister of Australia. One of Menzies' federal ministers was Wilfrid Kent Hughes who like Menzies had served as deputy premier of Victoria prior to switching to federal politics. Others include Albert Dunstan (1935) who subsequently became Premier for a then record of ten years, Rupert Hamer (1971–1972) who later became a long serving premier, Thomas Hollway (1943–1945) who was Premier on three occasions and Joan Kirner became the first female deputy premier in 1989 before becoming the first female premier in 1990.

See also

• Premier of Victoria
• Government of Victoria