Ben Carroll

Benjamin Alan Carroll (born 12 July 1975) is an Australian politician and lawyer who has served as the 50th premier of Victoria and the leader of the Victorian Labor Party since July 2026. He has been the member of parliament (MP) for the district of Niddrie since 2012. Carroll was born in Melbourne, attending St. Bernards College and studying law at La Trobe University, where he joined the Labor Party. Prior to entering politics, he worked in vehicle insurance and was later admitted as a solicitor. He was as a political adviser to premier Steve Bracks from 2000 to 2004. Carroll was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the district of Niddrie in the 2012 by-election, after the resignation of Rob Hulls. He joined the first Andrews ministry as Parliamentary Secretary for Justice in 2014, and was appointed to the cabinet in 2017, serving as Minister for Industry and Employment. During the second and third Andrews ministry, he held a range of cabinet portfolios that spanned infrastructure, industry and justice. Carroll was appointed as the deputy premier of Victoria in 2023, following the resignation of premier Daniel Andrews. He also served as Minister for Education, Minister for Medical Research and Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC in the Allan ministry, where he faced large disputes over public school funding and teacher salaries. Carroll became the premier of Victoria and leader of the Victorian Labor Party on 28 July 2026, after Jacinta Allan's resignation. Upon taking office, he has announced a royal commission into the construction sector, a cabinet review of the Suburban Rail Loop project and new worker protection laws.