Who is Ben Carroll, the man who wants to be Victoria's next premier?
Ben Carroll, 51, is the sole contender for the leadership of the Victorian Labor Party, making him the likely next premier following the resignation of Jacinta Allan. Carroll, a former lawyer and political adviser, has a political career marked by ambition, a close-knit suburban origin, and significant challenges in his ministerial portfolios.
Coverage Comparison
ABC Australia provides a detailed look at Carroll's personal history, his family business, his introduction to unionism at a Kmart in Airport West, and his education and career before politics. This coverage emphasizes Carroll's roots as a shaping force in his potential premiership style. It also raises the possibility, perhaps referencing the style of a prior era, that his approach may be more inspired by the Bracks–Brumby years than by a straight continuation of the Andrews–Allan period.
The Guardian focuses on Carroll's political maneuvering, such as the 2023 challenges he made to the leadership succession plan before Jacinta Allan was made premier. It covers his experience and achievements in the education portfolio, including the introduction of mandatory phonics classes, but also the principal difficulties of the job— mistakes in VCE exam results and statewide teacher strikes over pay.
Key Claims
- Carroll was elected to parliament in 2012 as the member for Niddrie in Melbourne’s west.
- He got his first job at Kmart in Airport West, joined the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA), and was introduced to unionism.
- He has held numerous portfolios, including industry, roads, employment, youth justice, and corrections.
- In education, he oversaw the introduction of mandatory phonics classes, but faced hurdles like the inadvertent release of year-12 exam results and statewide teacher strikes amid a pay dispute (as reported by both ABC and The Guardian).
- He is understood to be in favor of calling for a royal commission into Big Build corruption allegations, a claim reported by The Guardian but not yet confirmed.
- His potential leadership style may lean toward the Bracks–Brumby era, rather than a simple continuation, as analyzed by ABC.
Overall
Carroll’s rise from a suburban Melbourne family to the brink of the state's top job is about more than just his ambition. His durable roots, union introduction, and ministerial track record are at the heart of the story being told by Australian media. As he prepares to lead Victoria, he may well bring a blend of his old influences and to date, and greater questions of new direction—whether he can find a new bridge between his past, and his state's future need to be met