Victoria Election: Inside Rival War Rooms Before November 28 Poll
Labor, the Coalition and One Nation have assembled campaign teams for Victoria's November 28 state election, recruiting staff from across Australia. The result will set the tone for next year's NSW state election and the 2028 federal poll.
Labor, the Coalition and One Nation are running separate campaign operations for the Victorian state election on November 28, drawing helpers from across Australia. A look inside rival war rooms shows who is steering each side.
The contest matters beyond Victoria. A resurgent One Nation and the prospect of a change of government mean Australians are watching closely, and the result will set the tone for next year's NSW state election and the 2028 federal poll.
Labor's campaign team
Premier Ben Carroll leads Labor's effort. Party secretary Steve Staikos, senior assistant secretary Jett Fogarty and junior assistant secretary Mikaela Sadkiewicz run the party machinery.
Louise Magee is campaign chief of staff. Bassel Tallal, the premier's former deputy chief of staff, directs the travelling party and has final say on music choices.
Carroll's wife, Fiona Rothville, features heavily in the campaign. Rebecca Harrison and Harry Adam oversee the media operation.
An inner circle of ministers advises the premier on key decisions: Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams, Treasurer Colin Brooks and Major Events Minister Anthony Carbines.
Staffers from other states are also pitching in. Most Victorian federal ministers, including Richard Marles and Catherine King, have staff assisting the state campaign.
Coalition and One Nation
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has a close-knit team. Byron Hodkinson is chief of staff and Lydia Paterson is deputy chief of staff.
Alyson Hannam is campaign director, with Paul Denham as her deputy. Former state director Simon Frost has been spotted at cafes near party headquarters. He was once a key adviser to former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, for whom Wilson previously worked.
Liberal senator James Paterson, Lydia Paterson's husband, appears at every Liberal press conference. He was federal campaign spokesman in 2025 and regularly advises the Wilson team.
Kane Silom is on loan from federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor's office as director of communications. Alex Woff and Georgie Simmonds assist him. Both spent years in the opposition's media unit, which has fewer resources than the government of the day.
Wilson's political brains trust also includes Nationals leader Danny O'Brien and shadow ministers Evan Mulholland, David Southwick, James Newbury and Brad Rowswell.
One Nation leader Warren Pickering is backed by Mark Jones, once a rising star for the Liberals, on campaign operations. State secretary Bianca Collechia also helps.
Pauline Hanson has recently been in Victoria to boost the party's media coverage. Chief strategist James Ashby is rarely far behind her.
Richard Henderson, who handled media inquiries for Hanson's office, is managing campaign media. Staffer Harry Mulry plays a key role in the campaign based out of Pakenham, where Pickering hopes to win a lower house seat.
The Victorian Greens are relying on their regular staff. A party spokeswoman said they have no campaign chief of staff.
Public service departures
A change in government would bring a dramatic shake-up of the Victorian public service. Some senior public servants have already decided to leave before the poll.
Department of Health secretary Jenny Atta announced last Thursday that she would step down. She has held the role since March 2025 and told hospital board chairs and chief executives in a letter that "this is the right time for me to step away".
