Ben Carroll becomes new Victorian premier

Ben Carroll is Victoria’s new premier after his Labor colleagues chose him to replace Jacinta Allan as leader.

Carroll, who served as Allan’s deputy, announced on Monday he would contest the leadership after previously ruling out a challenge.

Allan stepped down from the state’s top political job on Tuesday morning ahead of a two-hour party room meeting, where Carroll was chosen as leader and Gabrielle Williams as deputy leader. The pair were later sworn in at Government House.

In a video posted to social media after becoming premier, Carroll said said colleagues had urged him to reconsider his earlier decision not to seek the leadership.

“This was not an easy decision, but the stakes at this election are too high,” he said.

“Only Labor can stop the risk of a Liberal-One Nation government that will hurt working people.

“But it is clear that on key issues that matter to Victorians, our government needs to go in a new direction.

“As premier, I will deliver that new direction.”

Elected to parliament in 2012, Carroll is the minister for education, medical research, WorkSafe and the TAC.

Carroll has become Labor’s third Victorian premier since the party returned to government in 2014 and takes the reins just four months before the state election.

La Trobe University PhD candidate Phoebe Hayman said leadership changes so close to an election could have both benefits and drawbacks for political parties.

“Leadership changes signal a shift to the electorate, but they can also demonstrate disunity and drown out the policy agenda,” she said.

More broadly, the federal leadership battles of the 2010s were linked to voter dissatisfaction with Australia’s democracy.”

Hayman said Labor’s challenge would be convincing voters the leadership change represented more than a change of personality.

“In an increasingly fragmented political landscape, this potential should give parties pause,” she said.

“The question is how much of Labor’s present difficulties and concerns about the upcoming election can be attributed to Jacinta Allan as premier, as opposed to a government aiming for a fourth term.

“Research shows us that while leaders and their perceived integrity can have an impact on whether voters will support a party, the influence is typically quite small.”