# 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.
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 | Term of office | Party | Party | Premier | Premier |
| No. | Portrait | Name Electoral district (Birth–death) | Term start | Term end | Party | Party | Premier | Premier |
| 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 | | Sir Stanley Argyle United Australia (1932–1935) |
| 3 | | Albert Dunstan MP for Korong and Eaglehawk (1882–1950) | 12 March 1935 | 20 March 1935 | | Country | | Sir Stanley Argyle United Australia (1932–1935) |
| 4 | | Wilfrid Kent Hughes MP for Kew (1895–1970) | 20 March 1935 | 2 April 1935 | | United Australia | | Sir Stanley Argyle United Australia (1932–1935) |
| 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 | | Albert Dunstan United Country (1935–1943) |
| 7 | | Albert Lind MP for Gippsland East (1878–1964) | 14 October 1937 | 14 September 1943 | | United Country | | Albert Dunstan United Country (1935–1943) |
| 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) |
| 9 | | Thomas Hollway MP for Ballarat (1906–1971) | 18 September 1943 | 2 October 1945 | | Liberal (from 1945) | | Albert Dunstan United Country (1943–1945) |
| 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) | | 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 and Country (from 1949) | | Thomas Hollway Liberal (until 1949) Liberal and Country (from 1949) (1947–1950) |
| 13 | | Trevor Oldham MP for Malvern (1900–1953) | 8 November 1949 | 27 June 1950 | | Liberal and Country | | Thomas Hollway Liberal (until 1949) Liberal and Country (from 1949) (1947–1950) |
| 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) |
| 17 | | Sir Arthur Rylah MP for Kew (1909–1974) | 7 June 1955 | 5 March 1971 | | Liberal (from 1965) | | Sir Henry Bolte Liberal and Country (until 1965) Liberal (from 1965) (1955–1972) |
| 18 | | Rupert Hamer MP for Kew (1916–2004) | 21 April 1971 | 23 August 1972 | | Liberal | | Sir Henry Bolte Liberal and Country (until 1965) Liberal (from 1965) (1955–1972) |
| 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 | | John Cain (Jr.) Labor (1982–1990) |
| 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) |
| 27 | | Peter Ryan MP for Gippsland South (born 1950) | 2 December 2010 | 4 December 2014 | | National | | 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 | | Daniel Andrews Labor (2014–2023) |
| 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.