Victorian election campaign launch LIVE updates: Ben Carroll and Jess Wilson kick off Labor and Liberal campaigns ahead of 28 November

Shelby BrooksUpdated November 15, 2026 — 11:01am,first published November 15, 2026 — 10:50am11.01amCampaign launches, explainedBy Alexander Darling and Kieran RooneyVictoria’s government has been in caretaker mode since the evening of November 3, the night that the governor-general issued the writ declaring when the election will take place.Since then, Ben Carroll’s big red bus and the Liberals’ Jess Express have been gallivanting around the state trying to drum up support for their cause ahead of election day. You might then be wondering why they’re only “launching” their campaigns now.It has been a longstanding convention that Victorian ministers don’t claim travel allowances from the day of the campaign launch.Cassandra MorganThe answer lies in convention. Government ministers do not claim travel or political vehicle allowances after the campaign is launched, except for any travel related to their specific duties as a cabinet minister.Under these same conventions, the Opposition leader and leaders of other parties can also request an extra vehicle for the caretaker period.Launching the campaign later in the piece has allowed ministers to use these vehicles and travel entitlements right until very close to the opening of early voting (Wednesday, November 18).Sunday also tends to be the best day for maximum media coverage, which both parties want before voting begins in earnest.10.47amWho is the opposition leader, Jess Wilson?By Alexander Darling and Gay AlcornThree hundred and sixty-two days ago, the Liberal Party received its fifth Victorian leader in six years.Kew MP Jess Wilson successfully challenged Brad Battin for party leadership in November 2025, after a period of extended turbulence for the Coalition, now in its 12th year of opposition in Victoria.Opposition Leader Jess Wilson campaigning in Mernda on Monday.Eddie JimIt marked the first time the party had elected a millennial leader, and the continuation of a meteoric rise for 36-year-old Wilson.Raised in Melbourne’s east and educated at Strathcona Girls Grammar, Wilson grew up steeped in politics. Her father, Ron Wilson – whom she has described as her “first political hero” – was also a state Liberal MP.10.45amWho is Premier Ben Carroll? By Annika SmethurstBen Carroll became premier in July after ousting Daniel Andrews’ successor, Jacinta Allan. He represents the north-west Melbourne electorate of Niddrie.After 12 years in office, Labor is struggling to hang onto its power base. While the Coalition remains its principal opponent, One Nation is rising, as Hanson’s party draws support from voters who once regarded Labor as their natural political home.Premier Ben Carroll (centre) campaigning at South Melbourne police station earlier this week.Simon SchluterCarroll knows he is running out of time to convince Victorians he is different. It’s a point he has reiterated since his first speech as the premier in late July, in which he bluntly declared “I am not Daniel Andrews, I am not Jacinta Allan”.Labor has held Niddrie – which covers Keilor, Niddrie, and Essendon West – for its entire 50-year history. Carroll won a byelection for the seat in 2012. Its residents are old-school Labor: more than a quarter have southern European ancestry, with rates of Catholicism higher than almost any other seat. (Carroll has recently returned to church, describing himself as a “progressive Catholic” who finds the ritual “meditative”.)10.41amWelcome to our live coverageBy James CostaWelcome to our rolling live coverage of the campaign launches for the Victorian state election, now less than two weeks away.After 12 years in government and three Labor premiers, there is a distinct mood for change in the air. But what direction that change will take is still very much up for debate.This election could be an unprecedented race for Victoria, with the potential for a first-ever fourth-term win for Labor, the first-ever female elected premier of Victoria if Liberal Jess Wilson wins, and a test of One Nation’s rising popularity.The Victorian Labor Party, headed by current Premier Ben Carroll, will launch its campaign on Sunday morning in Moonee Ponds. He is due on stage at 11.20am.The Victorian Liberal Party will launch its campaign on Sunday too, with leader Jess Wilson expected to speak at 12.10pm at The Glasshouse on Olympic Boulevard.The Victorian Greens and One Nation already launched their campaigns back in October. More on these later.And you can check out our Hot Seats blog to see which electorates The Age has decided require special attention.1 of 1