Former Liberal senator Hollie Hughes said Australia should consider "excising" Victoria if voters re-elect Premier Jacinta Allan (Labor) in the upcoming state election.
The comment highlights the extreme political polarization in Victoria as the state prepares for the 2026 election. It underscores a growing rift between the current state administration and its most vocal critics.
Hughes made the remarks during a commentary segment, arguing that the state's current political direction has become untenable. "If Victorians re‑elect this government, then, quite frankly, we should look as Australians at how we excise Victoria," Hughes said [1].
The suggestion follows a series of opinion polls released earlier this year that indicate a collapse in support for the Premier. Recent data shows that Jacinta Allan’s approval rating has fallen to -42% [2]. This figure represents a historic low and positions her as one of the most unpopular state leaders on record [3].
Further polling data identifies Allan as the least popular premier in Australia [4]. The political landscape in Victoria is shifting rapidly, with some reports indicating that One Nation has surged past both the Labor and Coalition parties in recent polling [2].
Hughes based her argument on these numerical declines, suggesting that the lack of public support for the Premier justifies a radical reconsideration of the state's relationship with the rest of the federation. The call to "excise" a state is a rare and extreme rhetorical device in Australian politics, one that mirrors the intensity of the current electoral climate.
“"If Victorians re‑elect this government, then, quite frankly, we should look as Australians at how we excise Victoria."”
The suggestion to 'excise' Victoria is rhetorically extreme and legally improbable, but it serves as a barometer for the depth of dissatisfaction with the current Victorian government. By linking the state's continued membership in the federation to the results of a single election, Hughes is signaling a total breakdown in trust between the opposition and the Premier's office, coinciding with a historic slump in public approval.
