00:02After speaking with my colleagues overnight, I have made the difficult decision to step
00:07aside as Leader of the Victorian State Parliamentary Labor Party and as Premier of Victoria.
00:15I will shortly chair a caucus meeting to elect a new Leader.
00:20Should Ben Carroll emerge as our next Labor Leader and Labor Premier, he will have my
00:27congratulations and unqualified support.
00:33I am making this decision because it is the right thing by the Labor Party and by the Victorian
00:39people.
00:41I was prepared to put my record and my plan to a ballot of members, as our rules allow.
00:49I believe I would have won.
00:52But doing so this close to an election takes up valuable resources, including the most
00:58precious of one, time.
01:01More importantly, it puts the State in a position of uncertainty.
01:07That hurts the Victorian people and I just won't do that.
01:13At the end of the day, I am and always have been a team player.
01:22The most important thing I want to say today is thank you.
01:27Thank you to the Victorian people.
01:29It has been the honour of my life to serve you as your Premier.
01:33I stepped down after 1,036 days in this role.
01:39Not one of them wasted.
01:41Not one of them easy.
01:44Finally, thank you to my husband Yorick and our beautiful children Peggy and Cormac.
01:53If this job was hard for me, it was ten times harder for them.
01:58Now, a bit of a message to the kids.
02:00Mum will be home more to tell you to get off your computers, go and clean your room.
02:05I will now also be there for all your drama performances and all of our family holidays
02:13without having to leave early.
02:15My greatest joy is spending time with you and I can't wait for it.
02:26There are so many more people I want to thank from my earlier days, but I'm sure you will
02:32allow me to say that that's a speech I want to give in my hometown of Bendigo.
02:41I finish by saying once more, thank you, thank you to the Victorian people.
02:47You brought me into your workplaces, into your homes, into your places of worship.
02:54You spoke to me about your hopes and fears and frustrations.
02:58And every day I listened.
03:02I didn't achieve all I set out to do for you in this role.
03:06I didn't get everything right.
03:08But I will leave knowing I made a difference, fighting for working families, making life
03:16easier, safer, more affordable, as one part of a proud Labor team.
03:25Thank you and goodbye.
03:27Thank you and goodbye.
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