Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan dismisses leadership rumblings as 'scallywag' gossip
Senior Labor MPs publicly declared their support for Jacinta Allan on Thursday. (AAP Image: Joel Carrett)
Jacinta Allan has denounced heightened speculation about her leadership as "scallywag" gossip, with senior MPs publicly declaring their support despite growing concern in the Victorian Labor Party that she will cost the party government in November.
Party powerbrokers are growing increasingly anxious about the premier's low popularity and senior figures have been talking about a potential challenge ahead of the state election.
The ABC has spoken to multiple Labor figures, including MPs, who have confirmed talks about an alternative path have been held, but stressed they were preliminary conversations about whether a challenge should occur.
No-one has suggested anyone was "counting numbers'' to gauge support for a full-throated attack.
A move on Ms Allan is not expected this week, but Labor sources are divided on whether a challenge is inevitable or unlikely.
State Labor MPs, both publicly and privately, are mostly supportive of Ms Allan despite growing frustration about her performance, negative opinion polling and policy priorities.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll — from the party's broad right faction — and Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams — from the left — are most commonly named as contenders to replace her.
Ben Carroll and Gabrielle Williams are viewed as the most likely leadership contenders. (AAP: Joel Carrett/ABC News)
Both have dismissed a challenge.
"My support is fully behind the premier. She's an exceptional leader, someone who brings enormous experience to her role," Ms Williams said.
Mr Carroll said he did not want to be premier.
"I couldn't be more proud to be the deputy premier and education minister,'' he said.
Ms Allan, responding to stories quoting unnamed Labor figures in The Australian and the Herald Sun about a potential challenge, said it was "anonymous gossip".
"There's a few, a couple, handful of scallywags there," Ms Allan said.
"They might need a bit of a cuddle and we'll provide support for colleagues."
Mixed views on benefit of spill
The danger for Ms Allan is that continued speculation about her leadership can become self-fulfilling and there are fears among her supporters that persistent destabilisation will make her leadership untenable.
Others in Labor believe a challenge will become inevitable if poor polling continues.
Those who think a change would help the party believe a new leader would allow Labor to reset and build up a stronger campaign against opposition leader Jess Wilson, who they believe is still a relatively unknown quantity to voters.
Jess Wilson became leader of the Victorian Liberals late last year. (AAP Image: Joel Carrett)
With an election less than nine months away, Labor would need to move soon to oust the premier.
If Ms Allan chose to fight the challenge — rather than resign — the party could be bogged down in a lengthy process.
Those cautioning against any challenge say Ms Allan still enjoys the backing of the caucus and instability sends a message to voters that the government is not focused.
Rumblings dismissed as 'idle gossip'
On Thursday morning, Labor ministers presented a united front at Victorian Parliament, dismissing the speculation as "idle gossip".
"I'm a senior member of this government. I'll be your source," Treasurer Jaclyn Symes said.
"I'm right behind Jacinta Allan. The caucus is right behind Jacinta Allan."
During an interview on ABC Statewide Drive, Police Minister Anthony Carbines also denied there were plans to topple Ms Allan as leader.
He said Labor was preparing for a tough election and he believed the party could win under Ms Allan.
"She has the full support of both myself and my colleagues," he said.
"Running government is a tough job, it's a hard job, and we need a leader who is experienced, a leader who has delivered for Victorians and has a clear plan and policies that we want to implement when times are tough and times are very uncertain."
Local Government Minister Nick Staikos said nobody within the party had approached him to canvass a change in leadership.
"This is nothing more than gossip and innuendo," Mr Staikos said.
Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson said while Labor would "smash it" during the November election, he was unsurprised by the leadership speculation surrounding Ms Williams and Mr Carroll.
"Those two are absolutely wonderful leaders," Mr Richardson said.
There has not been a formal challenge against a Labor leader in Victoria since 1999, when Steve Bracks rolled John Brumby as opposition leader ahead of that year's state election.