Ben Carroll has taken office as Victoria's new premier, marking the first time since the Bracks-Brumby era that the state's Labor leader hails from the party's right faction. In his inaugural speech, Carroll declared, "I am not Daniel Andrews, I am not Jacinta Allan," signaling a shift in priorities toward integrity, fiscal responsibility, and rebuilding ties with business.
Carroll's priorities and factional shift
Carroll outlined a royal commission into the construction sector, elimination of wasteful spending, enhanced public safety, and improved business relations. Electoral consultant Stephen Donnelly described the agenda as "a return to the Bracks-Brumby era." Carroll's ascension places Victoria's Labor leadership in line with South Australia's Peter Malinauskas and New South Wales's Chris Minns, all from the party's right.
The right faction traditionally emphasizes economic focus and fiscal restraint, contrasting with the socialist left's interventionist approach. Carroll's first full day as premier included a press conference at a Melbourne Kmart alongside Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) state secretary Michael Donovan, announcing workplace protection orders against abuse and violence for retail and hospitality workers. Donovan noted the union's frustration with former premier Jacinta Allan's slow progress: "We have wanted it faster than this, but we're very pleased that the new premier is making it a priority matter in his first two days."
A 'Kmart Keating' with deep Labor roots
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, a longtime mentor, dubbed Carroll a "Kmart Keating," referencing his early work at Kmart and alignment with former prime minister Paul Keating's economic focus. "He's someone who's very interested in the economy – not just spending money, but how it all fits together," Shorten said. "He’s perfectly comfortable in boardrooms, but he also understands household budgets and the challenges facing small businesses."
Carroll's political lineage includes work for former senator Stephen Conroy, a tour of Parliament House with Simon Crean in 1996, and staff roles under former premier Steve Bracks, who publicly backed his leadership. Shorten emphasized Carroll's fiscal prudence: "He gets that you can't just spend money, things have to stack up."
Not a conservative, but grounded
Despite the right faction label, Shorten and others reject the notion that Carroll is socially conservative. "He's not a conservative. I think he's very grounded and in touch with people," Shorten said. "The Victorian people right now want a government that demonstrates restraint." Kos Samaras, a former Labor strategist turned pollster, agreed: "I wouldn't describe Carroll as conservative. He's governed purely and principally by the community he grew up in."
Samaras noted that working-class communities in Carroll's electorate balance climate concerns with economic realities. Both Shorten and Samaras supported Carroll's plan to review the contentious Suburban Rail Loop project, with Samaras observing that Allan's remaining supporters largely came from areas benefiting from the $34.5bn SRL East, while outer-suburban MPs shifted to Carroll.
Leadership change not ideological
Donnelly cautioned against viewing the change as an ideological battle. "If you think about what just happened in the Victorian Labor caucus room, it had nothing to do with ideology. The reason it happened was because MPs from the left split from their own faction – the right didn't have the numbers to elect Carroll on their own," he said. "The number one reason MPs changed leaders was out of self-interest."
Senior left-aligned sources dismissed suggestions of their faction's demise, noting they still hold numbers on conference floor, caucus, cabinet, and committees. However, with senior left figures Lily D'Ambrosio and Harriet Shing leaving politics at the next election, the faction's balance of power is shifting.
