World View with Marites Vitug: Enrico Gloria on how countries negotiate with China

Australia’s state of Victoria has a new premier after the ruling Labor Party selected Ben Carroll as its leader ahead of the closely watched state election in November. The leadership change comes as Labor attempts to improve its standing with voters after months of declining public support under former premier Jacinta Allan. Carroll, who had been serving as Victoria’s deputy Labor leader, was elected unopposed on Tuesday shortly after Allan announced her resignation. He now takes charge of Australia’s second most populous state, which includes the city of Melbourne, at a time when Labor faces a difficult electoral challenge. Allan became premier in 2023 but struggled to maintain public confidence as concerns over the economy and growing dissatisfaction with Labor’s long period in office affected her popularity. The party has governed Victoria for the past 12 years, and recent opinion polls suggested many voters were ready for a change. Several surveys conducted before Allan stepped down indicated that the opposition Liberal Party was on course to win the November election. However, some polls suggested the Liberals might need support from the right wing One Nation party to form a government if they fail to secure a clear majority. Speaking after announcing her resignation, Allan warned that the possibility of a Liberal and One Nation alliance remained the biggest concern for Labor. She argued that such a coalition would pose a significant political challenge for the state and urged voters to consider the implications before casting their ballots. One Nation was founded in 1997 and was once considered a fringe political movement. In recent years, however, the party has gained greater public support through its tough stance on immigration and other national issues. Its leader Pauline Hanson has seen her popularity rise, with some opinion polls showing stronger public approval for her than for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The leadership transition comes just one day after an Australian court rejected Hanson’s appeal against a ruling that found she had racially discriminated against a Muslim senator by telling her to return to Pakistan. The decision kept the earlier judgment in place and added further attention to One Nation during an already important political period. Allan said she had been prepared to contest any leadership challenge within Labor but ultimately decided that stepping aside was in the party’s best interest. She explained that a leadership battle only months before the election would consume valuable time and resources that should instead be focused on the campaign. She also expressed confidence that she could have retained the leadership if challenged, but said avoiding internal divisions would give Labor a better chance of competing effectively in November. With Ben Carroll now leading the party, Labor hopes a fresh face at the top will help reconnect with voters and improve its prospects in one of Australia’s most important state elections. The outcome will be closely watched across the country as a measure of changing political trends and the growing influence of smaller parties such as One Nation.

Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has responded strongly to recent statements by MQM-P leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Mustafa Kamal. The remarks have sparked a fresh political exchange between the Sindh government and the MQM-P leadership. Shah reacted to the MQM-P leaders’ calls for political mobilisation and protests. He said they were free to take to the streets if they wanted to. In a sarcastic remark, he said the weather was hot and that “water would be provided” to them. The minister also questioned MQM-P’s demand for an account of the past 18 years. He asked the party leaders to explain how much accountability they had themselves provided during their political tenure. Shah also rejected suggestions about changing the existing structure of Sindh. He said the constitutional and geographical status of the province could not be changed according to the wishes of an individual political leader. He also criticised Mustafa Kamal’s remarks about the creation of new provinces. Shah said the country was already facing difficulties in managing its existing four provinces. He questioned why there was now a demand for additional provinces. The minister accused the MQM-P of turning towards public issues as elections approach. He said the party had previously enjoyed the benefits of political power but was now raising issues concerning the people. Shah’s comments came after Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui accused the Pakistan Peoples Party of creating an ethnic and linguistic divide in Sindh. Siddiqui had also demanded an accurate population count and stronger local governments. MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal had separately said that the party would take to the streets to demand its rights. The statements have increased political tension between the MQM-P and the Sindh government. Sindh Culture Minister Zulfiqar Shah also criticised the MQM-P leadership. He said Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was struggling to protect his position as party chairman. Zulfiqar Shah described the differences between Khalid Maqbool and Mustafa Kamal as the result of what he called divisive politics. He said the MQM-P leadership should first resolve its own differences. He also questioned the competing positions within the party. According to Zulfiqar Shah, the divided leadership should first decide whose statements should be taken seriously. The latest exchange comes amid renewed political debate over Sindh’s governance, representation and local government system. MQM-P has been demanding greater authority for local governments and an accurate population census. The party has also raised concerns about political representation and resource distribution in Sindh. The Sindh government, however, has rejected calls that could affect the province’s existing constitutional and geographical structure.