Tim Pallas

The Honourable
Tim Pallas
MP
The Honourable Tim Pallas MP
Treasurer of Victoria
	In office; 4 December 2014 – 19 December 2024
Premier	Daniel Andrews (2014–2023) Jacinta Allan
Preceded by	Michael O'Brien
Succeeded by	Jaclyn Symes
Minister for Trade and Investment
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 29 November 2018
Premier	Daniel Andrews (2014–2023) Jacinta Allan
Preceded by	Philip Dalidakis
Minister for Industrial Relations
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 29 November 2018
Premier	Daniel Andrews (2014–2023) Jacinta Allan
Preceded by	Natalie Hutchins
Minister for Economic Development
	In office; 29 November 2018 – 5 December 2022
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly; for Werribee
	In office; 29 November 2014 – 6 January 2025
Preceded by	District re-established
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly; for Tarneit
	In office; 25 November 2006 – 29 November 2014
Preceded by	Mary Gillett
Succeeded by	Telmo Languiller
Personal details
Born	7 January 1960 (age 65); Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Labor
Children	Two
Alma mater	Australian National University
Occupation	Trade union official
Website	www.timpallas.com.au

Timothy Hugh Pallas (born 7 January 1960) is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006, representing the electorate of Tarneit until 2014 and Werribee thereafter. He has served as Treasurer of Victoria in all three of the Andrew Ministries from December 2014 to December 2024 , and in the Allan Ministry from 2023 to 2024. Pallas previously served as Minister for Roads and Ports and Minister for Major Projects in the Brumby Ministry until 2010.

Early career

Prior to entering parliament, Pallas worked as a trade union official with the National Union of Workers, Assistant Secretary of the ACTU and as Chief of Staff to Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks.^[2]

Political career

He first contested the open preselection for the federal seat of Melbourne Ports in 1998, but was defeated by Michael Danby.

In 2005, Pallas challenged incumbent backbencher Mary Gillett for preselection in the safe seat of Tarneit, and with Bracks' backing, was successful. He was easily elected at the 2006 state election, and was immediately appointed to Cabinet, being assigned the roads and ports portfolio.

In 2010, Pallas called Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton a "dickhead" while launching a road safety initiative. Hamilton had been caught by police engaging in an act of 'hoon driving' in a $160,000 Mercedes on the previous Friday night.^[3]

When he was Minister for Roads and Ports, he implemented a number of measures to improve traffic flow on the major Victorian freeways including the Monash CityLink West Gate Upgrade. In February 2010, he launched a $5 million study into traffic flow along Hoddle Street between CityLink and the Eastern Freeway.^[4] The study had been previously announced in the Victorian Transport Plan in 2008.^[5] In March 2010, he approved a ban on trucks using the right-hand lane on busy sections of three-lane freeways.^[6]^[7]^[8] The RACV had campaigned for the ban for two years, attracting support from an "overwhelming 83% of motorists [it] surveyed".

Transferring to the electorate of Werribee following a boundary redistribution, Pallas was again successful at the 2014 Victorian state election and was appointed Treasurer after the election of the Andrews Labor Government. His first budget in May 2015 provided for the biggest spend on education in Victoria's history.

Pallas was additionally appointed Minister for Trade in June 2022.^[9]

He was elected for a fifth time at the 2022 Victorian state election.^[10] Originally a member of Labor Right, Pallas defected to Labor Left along with six of his colleagues shortly after the 2022 Victorian state election; his defection meant that the positions of Premier, Deputy Premier and Treasurer were all held by members of Labor Left, and also ensured that Labor Left constituted a majority of the state Labor caucus.^[11]^[12]

Pallas indicated his intention to resign as Treasurer and member for Werribee in December 2024.^[13]

Personal life

Pallas resides in Williamstown, approximately 20km away from his electorate of Werribee.^[14]

Pallas is married with two children, and is a supporter of the Werribee Tigers, the Western Bulldogs,^[15] the Melbourne Storm, Melbourne Victory and the Melbourne Vixens.^[16]

References

^ "Jaclyn-symes". Retrieved 19 December 2024.
^ "Tim Pallas: Happy pessimist and calculating realist". 12 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
^ McMahon, Stephen. "Tim Pallas brands hoon F1 driver Lewis Hamilton a 'd---head' slogan as he launched new viral road safety ad | Herald Sun". Archived from the original on 14 June 2011.
^ Unattributed (13 February 2010). "$5m to study Hoddle St chaos". Herald Sun. p. 22.
^ Peter Rolfe (7 December 2008). "Plan for Hoddle express". Herald Sun. p. 3. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
^ Lucas, Clay (4 March 2010). "Trucks banned from freeway lane". The Age. p. 3. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
^ Gardiner, Ashley (4 March 2010). "Trucks told to keep left". Herald Sun. p. 11. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
^ Farago, Peter (4 March 2010). "Truckies face fines if they're caught driving in fast lane – Right now wrong". Geelong Advertiser. p. 4. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
^ "Statement On New Ministry" (Press release). Premier of Victoria. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022.
^ "Tim Pallas secures Werribee". 27 November 2022. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
^ Ilanbey, Sumeyya; Sakkal, Paul (December 2022). "Andrews boosts internal grip on power, two ministers in firing line for demotion". The Age. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^ McCubbing, Gus (2 December 2022). "Andrews scores factional win as Strictly Ballroom star becomes MP". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^ "Tim Pallas to resign as Victorian treasurer and Werribee MP". ABC News. 16 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
^ Smethurst, Annika (16 September 2021). "Parachuting pollies into safe seats fuels political cynicism". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
^ "Treasurer Tim Pallas sings the Western Bulldogs club song on 3AW". 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
^ https://www.ttf.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Biography-Victorian-Treasurer-Tim-Pallas-May-2018.pdf Archived 2 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL PDF]}

External links

Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Mary Gillett	Member for Tarneit 2006–2014	Succeeded by Telmo Languiller
New seat	Member for Werribee 2014–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Wade Noonan	Minister for Resources 2017–2018	Succeeded by Jaclyn Symes
Preceded by Michael O'Brien	Treasurer of Victoria 2014–present	Incumbent
New title	Minister for Economic Development 2018–present
Preceded by Natalie Hutchins	Minister for Industrial Relations 2018–present
Preceded by Martin Pakula	Minister for Trade 2022–present