Profiling Ben Carroll: A Key Figure in Victoria’s Labor Leadership Race

In 2023, following an unsuccessful attempt to secure the leadership of the Victorian Labor Party, then-public transport minister Ben Carroll stated during a press conference, “I was always very keen to rise.”

Former Premier Daniel Andrews had entered his resignation with a succession plan seemingly in place: Jacinta Allan as his deputy to succeed him, with Tim Pallas serving as treasurer.

However, Carroll—a relatively low-profile minister from Labor’s diminished right faction—refused to yield to the established order.

A standard caucus meeting escalated into a lengthy debate after Carroll indicated he would challenge Allan for the leadership unless appointed deputy. This standoff reportedly triggered a heated outburst from Andrews, but Carroll ultimately secured the position.

Addressing the meeting shortly afterward, Carroll noted his long-standing ambition to ascend the party’s hierarchy. “I’ve held 14 portfolios over six years… and I’m always looking to see how I can continue to increase my contribution to this outstanding Labor government,” he remarked.

Less than three years later, with a state election approaching in four months, he has emerged as the primary contender for the leadership against Allan.

The 51-year-old Carroll was elected to parliament in 2012, representing the electorate of Niddrie in Melbourne’s west. The area includes Essendon West, Keilor East, and Airport West—the suburb where he grew up and continues to reside with his wife, Fiona, and daughter, Madeliene. It was in his home suburb that he began his career at Kmart, an experience that introduced him to unionism through the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA).

Carroll traces his political beginnings to 1996, when he was offered a tour of Canberra by then-federal member for Hotham, Simon Crean, during Bill Clinton’s visit. After shaking hands with the US president, he joined the Niddrie Labor branch that same year.

An arts graduate with a background in the insurance industry, Carroll began his political career under the Bracks government in 1999. He worked for then-senator Stephen Conroy in the cabinet before being preselected for the Niddrie by-election in 2012, succeeding Jaclyn Symes.

Since entering state parliament, Carroll has managed numerous portfolios, including industry, roads, employment, youth justice, and corrections, leading up to Andrews’ departure in 2023.

Following Allan’s elevation, Carroll was granted his preferred portfolio during a cabinet reshuffle; however, the new premier signaled a lack of trust by excluding him from the expenditure review committee, the cabinet’s most critical decision-making body.

As the education minister, Carroll presided over significant academic milestones, including Victoria’s best-ever NAPLAN results in 2025, where the state ranked first or second in 18 of 20 measures. He also oversaw the implementation of mandatory phonics in schools—a controversial move among some academics and the Australian Education Union, though supported by some educators for its positive impact on literacy.

However, his tenure has also been marked by significant administrative failures, including errors in the 2023 VCE maths and chemistry exams and the 2024 “cheat sheet” scandal, where exam content for 65 subjects was leaked weeks before testing. A subsequent review into the breach resulted in Carroll dismissing the entire board of the curriculum authority.

Most recently, he has been managing complex negotiations with teachers, amidst industrial action by the AEU Vic—the first such action in 13 years, occurring in March and again last week.

Speculation regarding a leadership challenge against Allan has persisted for months, gaining momentum before the June parliamentary recess. Factors contributing to this pressure include declining polling, low personal approval ratings for Allan, rising support for One Nation, and concerns regarding organized crime’s influence in the state’s “Big Build” infrastructure projects via construction unions.

In a recent press conference, Carroll dismissed claims that he was positioning himself for leadership, stating, “I’ve got the job that I want.”

“We have a premier, and she’s working harder than anyone every day. I want to serve Jacinta Allan. I’ve got a young daughter at home, and I couldn’t be more proud to make sure she grows up knowing that I supported Jacinta Allan to be a world-class premier and get re-elected in her own right,” he said.

He further stated he had no intention of asking Allan to step down immediately, personally assuring the premier of his loyalty.

While no leadership spill occurred during the following party room meeting, Carroll’s comments led some to suggest he was playing a “marathon” political game rather than abandoning his position.

Should he ascend to the premiership, Carroll is reportedly open to launching a royal commission into corruption allegations surrounding the “Big Build,” resolving the current teacher pay disputes, and strengthening the party’s economic reputation within the business community.

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