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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 Ministryfrom 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.

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.

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. The study had been previously announced in the Victorian Transport Plan in 2008. In March 2010, he approved a ban on trucks using the right-hand lane on busy sections of three-lane freeways. The RACV had campaigned for the ban for two years, attracting support from an "overwhelming 83% of motorists 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.

He was elected for a fifth time at the 2022 Victorian state election. 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.

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

Personal life

Pallas resides in Williamstown, approximately 20km away from his electorate of Werribee.

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

References

1. "Jaclyn-symes". Retrieved 19 December 2024.
2. "Tim Pallas: Happy pessimist and calculating realist". 12 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
3. 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.
4. Unattributed (13 February 2010). "$5m to study Hoddle St chaos". Herald Sun. p. 22.
5. Peter Rolfe (7 December 2008). "Plan for Hoddle express". Herald Sun. p. 3. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. "Statement On New Ministry" (Press release). Premier of Victoria. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022.
10. "Tim Pallas secures Werribee". 27 November 2022. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. "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.
14. 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.
15. "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.
16. 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

External links

• Official website
• Tim Pallas at re-member
• Parliament of Victoria profile page

• 1960 births
• Living people
• Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria
• Labor Left politicians
• Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
• Treasurers of Victoria
• Australian trade unionists
• Australian National University alumni
• 21st-century Australian politicians
• Politicians from Newcastle, New South Wales
• Ministers for roads and road safety (Victoria)
• Ministers for industrial relations (Victoria)
• Ministers for ports and freight (Victoria)
• Ministers for major projects (Victoria)