With just four months until the November State Election, Victoria has not just changed its Premier. It has changed its campaign posture.
Pressure on former Premier, the Hon Jacinta Allan, had been mounting for some time over allegations of corruption in Victoria’s Big Build infrastructure program, poor performance in the polls, and the emergence of One Nation as a more prominent electoral force.
In the end, the transition was swift, if not orderly. Last Monday, a group of MPs and ministers from across the factions informed Ms Allan that she had lost the support of the majority of the caucus and urged her to step down. Ms Allan resigned last Tuesday morning, and, following a turbulent party meeting, her Deputy Premier, the Hon Ben Carroll MP, emerged as Victoria’s 50th Premier.
Although the dust has not yet fully settled, it is already clear that Mr Carroll’s ascension marks a directional shift for Victorian Labor.
Join Nexus APAC as we unpack the new Victorian Premier, his emerging priorities, and the implications for the next State Election.
A New Premier, a New Direction
Mr Carroll now faces the task of convincing Victorians, within the next few months, that Labor’s change in leadership also means a meaningful change in direction.
In his first speech as Premier, Mr Carroll acknowledged the stakes, pointing to polling that indicated Victoria was on track for Australia’s first Liberal and One Nation government. He signalled that his government was alert to the concerns of Victorians and would do things differently.
Mr Carroll also responded to public concern around integrity, announcing a royal commission into the construction sector, a special prosecutor working in parallel with the royal commission, and the introduction of follow-the-money powers for the Independent Broad based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).
His early positioning has centred on responsible spending, easing cost of living pressures, addressing crime, and building a more constructive relationship with business, while emphasising that Labor will continue to be the party of working Australians.
Who is Ben Carroll?
Mr Carroll, 51, has served as the Member for Niddrie since 2012 and, in addition to being Deputy Premier under Ms Allan, held the portfolios of Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the Transport Accident Commission, and Medical Research.
The son of small business owners, Mr Carroll was raised in Melbourne’s north west and spent eight years working at a local Kmart.
Mr Carroll studied law at La Trobe University, joined the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association, and later became a political adviser to former Premier the Hon Steve Bracks AC.
Unlike his Labor left predecessors, Ms Allan and the Hon Daniel Andrews AC, Mr Carroll is aligned with Labor’s right faction and is regarded as more centrist and fiscally conservative.
A New Leadership Team
Last week, the Hon Gabrielle Williams MP was appointed Deputy Premier by the Labor Party caucus. Today, Mr Carroll announced his new Cabinet.
His decision not to fill the two vacancies created by recent resignations has reduced the Cabinet from 22 to 20 positions, a move he presents as symbolic of a more considered and disciplined approach to government spending.
Notably, the following portfolios present in Ms Allan’s cabinet have been abolished:
- Suburban Rail Loop
- Transport Infrastructure
- Men and Boys
- Cost of Living
Mr Carroll has also created a new portfolio for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy.
Mr Carroll’s new cabinet is as follows:
- Ben Carroll
- Premier
- Gabrielle Williams
- Deputy Premier
- Minister for Education
- Minister for Skills and Training
- Minister for First Peoples
- Minister for Women and Gender Equality
- Jaclyn Symes
- Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
- Minister for Energy and Resources
- Minister for Climate Action
- Minister for Environment
- Minister for State Electricity Commission
- Lizzie Blandthorn
- Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
- Minister for Children
- Minister for Disability
- Colin Brooks
- Treasurer
- Minister for Industrial Relations
- Anthony Carbines
- Leader of the House
- Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy
- Minister for Major Events
- Minister for Medical Research
- Minister for Racing
- Minister for Economic Development
- Steve Dimopoulos
- Minister for Sport
- Minister for WorkSafe and TAC
- Minister for Equality
- Paul Edbrooke
- Minister for Police
- Minister for Emergency Services
- Minister for Multicultural Affairs
- Minister for Crime Prevention
- Enver Erdogan
- Minister for Finance
- Minister for Government Services
- Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation
- Luba Grigorovitch
- Minister for Youth
- Minister for Carers and Volunteers
- Paul Hamer
- Minister for Roads and Road Safety
- Melissa Horne
- Minister for Ports and Freight
- Minister for Jobs
- Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing
- Minister for Defence Industry
- Sonya Kilkenny
- Attorney-General
- Minister for Planning
- Minister for Prevention of Family Violence
- Tim Richardson
- Minister for Local Government
- Minister for Consumer Affairs
- Minister for Renters
- Michaela Settle
- Minister for Rural and Regional Development
- Minister for Agriculture
- Minister for Water
- Ros Spence
- Minister for Youth Justice
- Minister for Corrections
- Minister for Victims Support
- Minister for Community Sport
- Nick Staikos
- Minister for Housing, Building and Precincts
- Minister for Homelessness
- Minister for Seniors
- Ingrid Stitt
- Minister for Health
- Minister for Mental Health
- Minister for Ambulance Services
- Special Minister of State
- Natalie Suleyman
- Minister for Small and Family Business
- Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
- Minister for Veterans
- Vicki Ward
- Minister for Public Transport
- Minister for Creative Industries
- Nina Taylor
- Cabinet Secretary
Conclusion
Mr Carroll’s ascension marks Victorian Labor’s final opportunity to reset the political narrative before Victorians head to the polls in November. In slimming his Cabinet, abolishing legacy portfolios and recasting the government’s priorities, Mr Carroll has offered an early signal of the government he intends to lead: one that is more disciplined on spending, more focused on cost of living and integrity, and more willing to engage with business.
The central question is whether he can convert a forced transition into a credible case for renewal. With only four months to define himself, rebuild trust and bed down a new ministry, the margin for error is narrow.
For business, industry and the community sector alike, the priorities emerging from this reshuffle will shape the policy agenda through the election and beyond, and Victorians will be watching for evidence that the change Mr Carroll promises is real.
Photo Credit: Emily Kulich/Melbourne Press Club
