Former Labor leader Bill Shorten says the party’s Victorian wing was facing “extinction level results” if Jacinta Allan had remained premier.
He compared the possibility to 1992 when Liberal leader Jeff Kennett and the Coalition romped to power in the state.
“I think, as much as people don’t want to hear this in Labor, I think they were facing extinction level results worse than 1992 when Jeff Kennett wiped out Labor,” Shorten told 7.30 on Tuesday night.
“I understand why people acted.”
As to whether new premier Ben Carroll can do enough to keep Labor in power, Shorten said he felt he would make them competitive.
“I think he can move them from the low 20s, to at least the mid–30s,” he said.
“He’s doing this to make sure the can try to win and make Labor competitive. I think he will give them a bump.
“Changes sometimes work, sometimes they don’t. But I can think of plenty of examples where they have worked.”