Arabic version: تسرب قيادة في فيكتوريا يجذب اهتمام السياسة الفدرالية

According to ABC News, Ben Carroll replaced Jacinta Allan as Victoria’s premier after a chaotic leadership spill, putting the state’s politics under close scrutiny in Canberra ahead of an election less than four months away.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers endorsed Carroll’s decision to call a royal commission into alleged corruption in Victoria’s building industry. Chalmers described Carroll as “outstanding”, while Liberal frontbencher Tim Wilson called for a national royal commission into the CFMEU following the announcement of the state-level construction inquiry.

Victoria’s electoral outlook is also being watched by parties and pollsters as One Nation’s polling improves nationally and in the state. ABC Victorian political reporter Richard Willingham said One Nation’s influence “complicates the electoral calculus”. Pauline Hanson said she would announce all Victorian candidates either the next day or the following week; upper house MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell was the first candidate revealed.

Separately, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced questions over a dinner hosted by Felix Lee at a Point Piper mansion. Albanese said he attended “lots of functions” and did not discuss private dinners. Hanson updated her parliamentary register of interests to declare that Gina Rinehart paid for her flights from London to Sicily.

Albanese will not attend the Garma Key Forum despite saying last year that he would attend every year he was prime minister. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy will give a keynote address at the four-day festival in north-east Arnhem Land. Albanese said he had not “had a day off all year”.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor also faces further questions linked to NSW ICAC hearings into branch stacking. Taylor has denied giving money to the NSW Reformers faction and said five times that he had made no payment to the group. He is not accused of wrongdoing.