Ben Carroll (Niddrie) — Positions, Voting Record & Donations

Abortion & reproductive policy verified

Voted YES on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2015 (Assembly division, 12 November 2015; AYES 69, NOES 13). He did not speak on the bill, and has no recorded statement on abortion law itself. A March 2022 parliamentary tribute in which he recalled meeting an advocate 'when she was fighting for the decriminalisation of abortion' is praise for that advocate rather than a statement of his own position.

Votes and Proceedings Nos 48-50 (10, 11 and 12 November 2015) - Safe Access Zones Bill division

Voluntary assisted dying verified

Supported voluntary assisted dying at every recorded stage. In the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 second-reading debate on 18 October 2017 he said 'Pain can be managed in almost any instance; suffering cannot' and 'I place on record that I will be supporting the legislation,' describing the bill as more conservative and comprehensive than comparable overseas laws, with 'many safeguards against coercion, undue haste and the exploitation of the mentally ill or vulnerable.' He voted YES when the bill passed the Assembly 47-37 on 20 October 2017. He voted YES again on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Amendment Bill 2025 at second reading (28 October 2025; AYES 67, NOES 16) and third reading (29 October 2025; AYES 67, NOES 14); no speech by him on the 2025 bill has been found.

Gender & LGBTQ+ policy verified

A consistent supporter of LGBTIQ+ equality by vote and by speech. He voted YES on the Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same-Sex Couples) Bill 2015 (Assembly division, 22 October 2015) and YES on both divisions on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024 (20 February 2025; AYES 50, NOES 25). His fullest statement came on an Equality motion on 15 May 2025, prompted by attacks on public library inclusion policies: he said libraries 'are for everyone, no matter who you are ... and no matter what your sexual orientation,' defended drag story time, asked 'What is wrong with celebrating diversity,' and warned that letting 'the hard right run, divide and do any more of the Trumpism' would produce 'more division, more social isolation and more harm.' As Minister for Employment he said 'LGBTIQ+ people in our community face higher levels of discrimination than other Victorians.' The Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 passed the Assembly without a division, so no individual vote by him is on record for that bill.

Freedom of speech verified

Voted YES on both divisions on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024 (20 February 2025), the bill that repealed the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 and expanded vilification protections. Voted for the Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024, which repealed the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 and expanded vilification protections (Legislative Assembly, combined second and third reading, 20 February 2025; Ayes 50, Noes 25).

Drugs & law and order verified

Voted YES on the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024 (Assembly division, 17 October 2024; AYES 51, NOES 22) and as Acting Premier said 'No drug is truly ever safe, but the evidence is clear - pill testing saves lives and reduces harm.' On weapons he said 'Our first duty is to keep the community safe, and there will be zero-tolerance for illegal machetes on our streets.' In question time on 6 March 2025 he said young people 'wearing ankle bracelets or GPS monitoring devices are not suitable to be in the mainstream education setting,' calling the decision 'a commonsense call.' His youth-crime framing has been prevention-first since 2020, from a plan to 'prevent crime, reduce reoffending' to 'Keeping children engaged in school is the best tool against youth crime.' As Premier he said his first call was to the Chief Commissioner to tell him police would have 'every resource that he needs,' and his first bill created Workplace Protection Orders: 'Retail and transport workers keep Victoria running and they must be safe at work.'

Gambling & gaming reform verified

Has voted in eleven gambling divisions in the Legislative Assembly since 2017, consistently supporting government gambling bills and opposing opposition attempts to delay them. He voted aye on the Gambling Regulation Amendment (Gaming Machine Arrangements) Bill 2017 and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation Repeal and Advisory Councils Bill 2024 (which abolished the Foundation), the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-Commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024 at both the reasoned amendment and second reading on 20 March 2025, the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, and the Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. His two 'no' votes were on opposition motions to adjourn debate, rather than on the substance of any bill: the December 2017 motion was on the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2017, a separate bill from the Gaming Machine Arrangements Bill, and the September 2025 motion was on the Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The Liquor and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 passed both houses without any division on its substance; the only division associated with it was procedural. He has made no recorded speech setting out a gambling policy view. Voted for the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation Repeal and Advisory Councils Bill 2024, which abolished the Foundation (Legislative Assembly, second and third reading, 30 May 2024; Ayes 49, Noes 28). Voted for the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024 (Legislative Assembly, second and third reading, 20 March 2025; Ayes 53, Noes 25). Voted for the second reading of the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (Legislative Assembly, 20 May 2025; Ayes 51, Noes 25). Voted for the second reading of the Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (Legislative Assembly, 11 September 2025; Ayes 73, Noes 3).

Native forest logging verified

Voted for the second reading of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Repeal Bill 2024, which repealed the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004 following the cessation of native forest logging on 1 January 2024 (Legislative Assembly, 30 May 2024; Ayes 53, Noes 24).

Hansard, Legislative Assembly, 2024-05-30

First Nations & treaty verified

Spoke in support of the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 at its second reading on 14 October 2025 as Deputy Premier, calling it 'a landmark day and a landmark occasion' and placing Labor as 'the party of Mabo; the party of native title.' He said treaty 'does ensure First Peoples communities are at the heart of decision-making that affects their lives,' acknowledged '65,000 continuous years of wisdom' and that Aboriginal people were Victoria's 'first educators,' and defended the new body Gellung Warl against what he called 'misinterpretations,' reading into Hansard the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation's statement approving use of Gunaikurnai language for its name. The bill passed the Assembly 54-27 on 16 October 2025, but he did not vote in that division: he appears in neither the ayes nor the noes in the Votes and Proceedings. He was in the House that week, voting in the ayes on the government business program motion of 14 October 2025 that timetabled the bill for completion by 5.00 pm on 16 October.

Integrity & anti-corruption verified

Made a royal commission into the construction sector his first announced act as Premier, saying 'my first action as Premier will be to call a Royal Commission into the Construction Sector' and 'In my Government, integrity will not be optional,' pledging zero tolerance for those who misuse their positions in business, politics or the union movement. He will also 'immediately establish a Special Prosecutor' to work in parallel with the commission and strengthen IBAC with follow-the-money powers: 'Not in 2027, now.' He confirmed both in the Assembly the same day, and said he wants 'exhaustive terms of reference' with 'no stone unturned, whether it is top-tier contractors, subcontractors, labour hire, government, unions.' He separately announced the Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters) Bill 2026 to abolish group voting tickets, saying 'Fair elections are the bedrock of democracy.' As Education Minister he ordered a 'root-and-branch review' of the VCAA. As at 29 July 2026 no terms of reference, commissioner or timetable had been published.

Education verified

Premier of Victoria since 28 July 2026; previously Deputy Premier and Minister for Education. He championed and extended Victoria's classroom mobile-phone ban - which began in public schools in 2020 - introducing legislation to extend it (plus wearable devices such as smartwatches and earbuds) to all Victorian schools including non-government schools from January 2027, making Victoria the first state to legislate restrictions on wearable technology. He said: 'The evidence shows it worked and now we're going further, so every Victorian student, in every Victorian school, can put their phone away and focus on learning.' He frames education support as cost-of-living relief, launching the $400 School Saving Bonus because 'no parent or carer wants to think about their child missing out on the essentials like school uniforms and textbooks, camps, excursions and school sports,' and telling parliament that 'from free kinder to free TAFE to targeted financial support from P-12, we know this support can change a young life forever.' In the 2026 teachers' pay dispute he defended the government's offer as making Victorian teachers and support staff the best paid in the country with the best conditions; members narrowly voted it down (51.18 per cent against) and about 20,000 staff struck and marched through Melbourne in July 2026.

Transport & infrastructure verified

On the Suburban Rail Loop his position as Premier is qualified rather than a re-endorsement. Asked on his first day whether he would confirm the project, he said 'I have been sworn in on day one and I will be addressing all these matters through a cabinet process' and that 'like all of our projects, we are accountable through the budget process.' The following day, asked to rule out cancelling the SRL, he said 'We will not be cancelling contracts. That era is over,' but has not re-committed on the project's cost, scope or staging. He names airport rail as his own priority: 'Airport rail will electrify the north-west. It is a game changer.' On the Commonwealth Games withdrawal he said only 'I am going to be a premier that does not break contracts.' As Minister for Public Transport (2020-2023) he oversaw level crossing removals, and as Minister for Roads and Road Safety (2020-2022) delivered safer-streets packages framed around driving down road trauma.

Energy verified

Has spoken for the revived State Electricity Commission from a jobs and training angle rather than as energy minister. Backing the SEC's renewable build-out, he said 'The SEC's plans for more renewables means thousands of jobs for Victorians - and at least 10 per cent of those jobs will be apprenticeships and traineeships, building up our young energy workforce,' pointing to a target of 59,000 jobs across manufacturing, solar, wind and emerging industries, about 6,000 of them traineeships and apprenticeships. The SEC is prohibited from owning, operating or investing in fossil fuel facilities. No statement by him has been found on gas policy, transmission siting or the renewable energy zones.

Sourced positions