[2] In July 2007, Steve Bracks, the then Premier of Victoria and member for the safe Labor seat of Williamstown, suddenly announced his intention to retire from politics.
Noonan emerged as an early favourite to win Labor preselection for the resulting by-election, and won the nomination after a deal to install television presenter Angela Pippos in the seat fell through.
[2][3][4] He was elected on 15 September 2007, defeating Greens candidate, former City of Maribyrnong mayor and future Senator Janet Rice.
[5] On 8 February 2016, Noonan announced he would be taking a three-month leave of absence from his ministerial and parliamentary positions to undergo counselling due to exposure to traumatic incidents in his work as police minister.
[1] Noonan was appointed the Executive Director of the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA) from 2018 to 2021, and then Deputy Vice-Chancellor, External Relations and Partnerships at Victoria University from 2021.