Premier gives thanks to her everlasting gift: the Liberal Party
It is the winter recess of state parliament, when Victorian politics shifts down a gear and the busiest woman in the state can afford a few days off to rest and reflect. Allan is dressed for the weekend, with a well-worn hi-viz vest paired with her favourite jeans.
I lace up the boots and through my protective goggles, take in our surrounds. The premier's home is light and airy, with family portraits hung on one side of the hall and a striking, black and white image of a tunnel boring machine on the other.
In the kitchen, Allan's husband Yorick is wrestling with an espresso machine. He takes off his hard hat, wipes his brow and grumbles something about four more years. Allan laughs.
'Alas, poor Yorick,' she says. 'When I took this job I assured him that, given what Labor had done to Victoria's finances, there was no way we'd get re-elected. Now it looks like I'll be doing this for as long Dan!'
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The premier leans in conspiratorially. 'Let me show you why.'
Allan leads us through the backdoor to the rest of her property. It is a peaceful setting, with towering gumtrees and graceful acacia. One of her dogs emits a low growl, reminding me to zip up my hi-viz.
As we walk down a gravel path, we come across Allan's two children in matching boots and hard hats, one carrying a hydraulic jackhammer and the other a set of blueprints. 'They are on school holidays and doing some early works,' she says. 'Won't see them 'til smoko.'
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