Live: Victorian premier addresses media a day after taking leadership

Ben Carroll starts his first full day as Victorian premier, after replacing Jacinta Allan as the new leader of the Victorian Labor Party.The MP for Niddrie faces the challenge of leading Labor to the state election November.Follow our coverage below.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 9:06amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 9:06amPremier's press conference has endedBen Carroll has finished his press conference but we're waiting for a full replay before we can get you some finer details of what he said.At least we can add the lower level of the Bourke Street Kmart to the list of places where getting a live signal out is nearly impossible.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:58amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:58amPremier takes questions after yesterday's spillMr Carroll is taking questions from reporters on the back of yesterday's events and his decision to announce a royal commission into the construction sector.The feed from the Kmart basement is very patchy so we're not hearing everything that is being said, but Mr Carroll has reiterated some of his comments yesterday on the RC."I am going to run a disciplined, proper cabinet process," he says.The premier says he will schedule a cabinet meeting as soon as he can to establish the settings for the royal commission.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:50amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:50amNew scheme to start next yearThe new laws will be introduced to parliament today with the goal of coming into force in July 2027.This is obviously legislation that has been prepared under Jacinta Allan, but it's Mr Carroll who is announcing it.It just happens that he gets to announce it at his old workplace.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:47amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:47amPremier announces workplace protection schemeBen Carroll has just announced the government is introducing a "tough new" Workplace Protection Order scheme.The new laws give courts the power to ban or limit people's access to workplaces when they've treated frontline workers unacceptably.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:43amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:43amTechnical issues from the premier's presserThe live camera feed appears to be struggling to get out of the Kmart basement where the premier is speaking.Bear with us while wait for a better feed.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:41amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:41amBen Carroll takes a tour of KmartAfter working at Kmart for eight years you'd think he already knows his way around pretty well, but the new premier is getting a guided tour of the store.He's just told a couple of employees that he worked in menswear before finishing his time at Kmart in sound and vision.Fascinating stuff.Ben Carroll takes a tour of the Bourke Street Kmart. (ABC News)Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:33amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:33amPremier arrives for press conferenceBen Carroll is briefly meeting some employees at Kmart before the start of his press conference.He's already said he has some "beautiful memories" from his eight years at Kmart.Ben Carroll and Gabrielle Williams arrive for their press conference. (ABC News)Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:29amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:29amA potential cabinet reshuffleOne of the first orders of business for Ben Carroll is to rejig his frontbench.His own education portfolio will be up for grabs and he will need to pick a replacement for his predecessor, Jacinta Allan.Several sources have told the ABC that Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson would enter cabinet, but other changes to the Allan ministry are yet to be revealed.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:25amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:25amSome big jobs on the premier's agendaBen Carroll won't have much time to waste getting stuck into his tasks as premier, with a state election looming in November.He needs to set the terms of reference for the royal commission into the construction sector that he announced yesterday.He also needs to pick his cabinet after replacing Jacinta Allan yesterday.You can read all about the challenges he faces today here:Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:20amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:20amNew premier's first full day on the jobAfter a whirlwind 24 hours, Victoria's new premier Ben Carroll is starting his first full day on the job with a press conference in Melbourne's CBD this morning.He'll be joined by his new deputy, Gabrielle Williams, for an announcement at – wait for it – Kmart in Bourke Street.In case you didn't know, Mr Carroll worked at Kmart at Airport West for eight years while he studied at high school and university.He says this is where he first joined a union and "got a good understanding of the importance of unions in helping working people".That's how he earned the nickname Kmart Keating among some Labor colleagues.Let's see if the nickname sticks.Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:13amWed 29 Jul 2026 at 8:13amWelcome to the blogVictoria's new premier Ben Carroll is starting his first full day as the state's leader after replacing Jacinta Allan yesterday.Join us as we follow the events of the day as they unfold.