Joan Elizabeth Kirner was an Australian politician who was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, serving from 1990 to 1992. A Labor Party member of the Parliament of Victoria from 1982 to 1994, she was a member of the Legislative Council before later winning a seat in the Legislative Assembly. Kirner was a minister and briefly deputy premier in the government of John Cain Jr., and succeeded him as premier following his resignation. She was Australia's third female head of government and second female premier, Victoria's first, and held the position until her party was defeated in a landslide at the 1992 state election.

The premier of Victoria is the head of government of Victoria, Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria and must be a member of and command confidence in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria, meaning the support of a majority of Legislative Assembly members. This is usually the leader of the political party that holds a majority of lower house members.