News and politics live updates: Victorian Premier Ben Carroll vows construction royal commission

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has defended his decision to take over the leadership, despite previously promising not to challenge Jacinta Allan.

As speculation about a leadership spill mounted in June, Carroll said he could look Ms Allan in the eye and assure her he would not seek to replace her.

“I want to serve Jacinta Allan … I’ve got a young daughter at home, and I couldn’t be more proud to make sure she grows up knowing that I supported Jacinta Allan to be a world-class premier and get re-elected in her own role,” he said at the time.

Asked on Tuesday how he would explain the shift to his daughter, Mr Carroll said the situation had evolved.

“The circumstances changed,” he said.

“Yesterday morning, I was approached by a delegation who asked me to stand for leader. This delegation had already visited the premier and informed her that they wanted change. I’m going to be that change.”

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock has warned her monetary policy board may have to raise interest rates again because weak productivity is keeping inflation high.

Australia’s most powerful central banker has told a Sydney luncheon the RBA’s three rate hikes in 2026 so far may not be enough to get inflation back to target.

“One thing monetary policy can’t do, however, is address the economy’s slow productivity growth,” she told an Anika Foundation fundraiser on Tuesday.

“While this persists, the ability of the economy to grow without generating inflation is constrained, and Australians will continue to experience limited growth in real wages.”

Ms Bullock suggested another rate rise, that would take the cash rate to a 15-year high of 4.6 per cent, may be needed to bring down inflation now at 4 per cent, which is well above the central bank’s 2-3 per cent target.

“In these circumstances, the best contribution monetary policy can make is to maintain low and stable inflation and support sustainable full employment,” she said.

“The board is prepared to act as required to achieve its mandate, including by increasing the cash rate further if needed.”

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Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has sought to distance himself from his predecessors, declaring he will take a different approach to leadership.

“Let me make one thing very clear. I am not Daniel Andrews. I am not Jacinta Allan. I will do things differently, because different times require a new approach,” Mr Carroll told reporters.

Highlighting his personal background, Mr Carroll pointed to his upbringing in Melbourne’s north-west suburbs and his first job at Kmart as shaping his values.

“I understand the value of hard work and ensuring that every family has a chance to get ahead. My first job was at Kmart down the road from where I lived in Airport West,” he said.

“I still remember the joy of receiving my first pay cheque. It taught me from a young age the value of a dollar.”

Mr Carroll said that experience informs his approach to government spending, acknowledging concerns among Victorians about how public money is used.

“Every dollar my government spends will be treated with respect, carefully, responsibly, and only where it delivers the greatest value to Victoria,” he said.

New Victorian Premier Ben Caroll is speaking after being sworn in as Victorian Premier.

He has vowed to launch a royal commission into corruption in the state’s construction sector, making it his first major move after taking office.

Mr Carroll, who was unanimously elected leader of the Victorian Labor Party, said he was “honoured and humbled” to become the state’s 50th premier.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, he reiterated warnings about the potential impact of a Liberal–One Nation government, claiming it would lead to cuts to funding for hospitals and schools.

The new premier then confirmed he would move swiftly to address concerns in the construction industry.

“We will immediately establish a special prosecutor to work alongside the royal commission, and we will strengthen IBAC by giving it follow-the-money powers this term, not in 2027,” he said.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has been linked with a Christian conservative Liberal Party factional group at an anti-corruption hearing.

Former Liberal staffer Dylan Whitelaw, who was a member of the party’s Mittagong branch in the NSW Southern Highlands, told the Independent Commission Against Corruption that Mr Taylor supported the Reformers, a right-wing grouping within his party as the member for Hume in 2020.

Mr Taylor had also agreed to speak at one of their events in Goulburn, which was then in his Federal electorate.

“It refreshes my memory,” Mr Whitelaw said.

“I don’t recall Angus ever doing an event in Goulburn.”

Liberal powebroker Chris Elllis had asked Mr Whitelaw to expand the reach of the Reformers into the southern part of the State.

“I may have asked Angus if he would be able to help but I don’t have any recollection of that event happening,” Mr Whitelaw said.

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Ben Carroll has officially been sworn in as Victoria’s premier during a ceremony at Government House.

The oath of office was administered by Lieutenant-Governor Professor James Angus AO, who stepped in for Governor Margaret Gardner AC in her absence.

Ben Carroll has said he is “honoured and humbled” to have been unanimously elected as the new Premier of Victoria.

In a video shared to Instagram, he thanked his colleagues for their confidence in him.

Mr Carroll said it was clear the government “needs to go in a new direction”.

Controversial MP Moira Deeming has resigned from the Liberal Party.

It comes less than two weeks after she was disendorsed from the party after declining to apologise over unsubstantiated claims of violence against former leader Matthew Guy.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson made the announcement on Tuesday.

“This morning I received the resignation from the Parliamentary Liberal Party from Moira Deeming,” she said.

Previously, Ms Wilson had said that Ms Deeming would remain in the Liberal party room for the final weeks of the parliamentary term.

Anthony Albanese says a new $4 million pre-feasibility study, jointly funded between the State and Federal governments, could help Australia build its first new oil refinery in decades.

He said it was important to explore how Australia could build its national resilience amid energy shocks prompted by the Iran war and an increasingly fragile global environment.

Speaking in northern WA on Tuesday, Mr Albanese said Australia were “not protagonists in it” but noted it was “having an impact here”.

“Like it’s having an impact right around the world,” he said.

“One of the things that building national resilience does is it makes Australia less vulnerable to the impact of events around the world.

“We know that it’s an important part of national resilience.

“We obviously want to make sure that there’s a commercial opportunity.”

Anthony Albanese has accused Pauline Hanson of ignoring WA and challenged reporters in the north of the state to tally up her appearances.

Speaking in Karratha on Tuesday, the Prime Minister was asked if he was intentionally avoiding appearing in the southern state seat of Secret Harbour ahead of a by-election.

“It’s not normal for Prime Ministers to attend state by-elections and I reckon Roger Cook’s governor is doing a fantastic job,” he said.

“If someone can tell me that there’s been a leader or a minister from the east coast since Federation who has been to WA more often than I have, then good luck with that.

“I don’t come just during to an election campaign.

“I’d ask you to add up how many times I’ve been to WA.

“I’ve been to Karratha more than some political leaders and Prime Ministers in the past have been to WA, as Prime Minister in the last four years.

“I note that the leader of One Nation has been in Parliament for the same period of time as I have been. I’d ask you to add up how many times she’s been to WA.”