Ben Carroll Becomes Victoria’s New Premier After Unanimous Labor Vote

Ben Carroll has become Victoria’s new Premier after Victorian Labor MPs unanimously elected him leader following Jacinta Allan’s resignation.

Ben Carroll has become Victoria’s new Premier after Victorian Labor MPs unanimously elected him leader following Jacinta Allan’s resignation.

Jacinta Allan has resigned as Victorian Premier and Labor leader, clearing the way for Deputy Premier Ben Carroll to take control of the government.

Victorian Labor MPs will vote on a motion to spill the party’s leadership, with Premier Jacinta Allan and Deputy Premier Ben Carroll expected to contest if it succeeds.

Mick Gatto has been released without charge after being arrested and interviewed by Taskforce Hawk detectives at Mount Martha during an investigation into alleged financial offences.

One Nation’s Farrer breakthrough has added weight to warning signs already visible in Nepean, where the party topped several booths and exposed pressure on the Liberal primary vote. With Hastings held by Labor on a narrow margin, November’s Victorian state election could be far more volatile than expected.

Independent Tracee Hutchison has confirmed she will contest Nepean again at November’s Victorian state election, following Saturday’s by-election result. Anthony Marsh’s win also means Briars Ward residents will vote in a council by-election, with ratepayers expected to meet an estimated cost of about $200,000.

Mornington Peninsula Shire ratepayers are facing an expected $200,000 Briars Ward by-election bill after Anthony Marsh’s Nepean win leaves a council vacancy and ends his time as mayor.

STPL News spoke with Nepean by-election candidates on election day, with candidates from Independent, Greens, Libertarian and One Nation campaigns taking part. Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh declined the opportunity.

Greens candidate Dr Sianan Healy has urged Nepean voters to back action on housing, climate and cost-of-living pressures, while questions remain over the detail behind the party’s local pitch.

Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh is facing fresh signs of unrest in Nepean, with long-time Liberal supporters, public comments and a former party member’s full-page advertisement raising questions about his candidacy.

STPL News has put six questions to every Nepean by-election candidate, focusing on cost of living, crime, housing affordability, roads and Rosebud Hospital, and asking what they can realistically deliver from outside government before November.

Fresh anti-One Nation material is circulating in Nepean through letterbox flyers, authorised video and text messages, adding to concerns about an increasingly negative Liberal campaign centred on Rosebud Hospital ahead of the by-election.

Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh has withdrawn from a sold-out Nepean candidates forum after attendee questions were circulated, with organisers telling STPL News his team pulled out about an hour after receiving direct questions for the candidate.

Liberal Nepean candidate Anthony Marsh is facing fresh scrutiny after Victoria’s transport department began reviewing a complaint over a campaign pothole stunt, adding to earlier questions over road funding claims, Liberal unrest, political independence and the state-appointed monitors at Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.

Pauline Hanson’s appearance alongside Darren Hercus in Rosebud drew a packed crowd and added visible momentum to One Nation’s push in the Nepean by-election.

Pauline Hanson has appeared beside Nepean candidate Darren Hercus at a sold out One Nation event, with more updates expected later tonight.

Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke has joined Victoria’s cabinet in a reshuffle of the Allan government, with former mayor Kris Bolam welcoming the promotion as a significant moment for the city.

Peter Angelico has accused Anthony Marsh of “blatant hypocrisy” over roads messaging in the Nepean by-election, using both a campaign video and an STPL News interview to challenge Marsh’s credibility, honesty and handling of the issue.

Greens candidate for Nepean Dr Sianan Healy has made cost of living and public transport central to her by-election campaign, arguing Peninsula families are being squeezed by rising everyday costs.

Tracee Hutchison has hit back at a Liberal-authorised flyer targeting her in the Nepean by-election, calling it a dishonest attack and a sign of Liberal desperation.

A second Liberal-authorised attack flyer has surfaced in the Nepean by-election, this time targeting independent candidate Tracee Hutchison as the Liberals widen their negative campaign.

The Liberal Party is being labelled desperate after copies of an anti-One Nation flyer, authorised by the party itself, began circulating across the Nepean electorate.

Anthony Marsh is facing fresh scrutiny after appearing to mark a pothole on White Hill Road, a state-managed 80 km/h arterial road, without visible hi-vis gear or traffic control. STPL News has contacted Roads Minister Melissa Horne for comment.

Frank Schiefler has been chosen by the Liberal Party for endorsement as its candidate for Hastings at the November Victorian state election, with a formal public announcement still pending.

The Victorian Liberal Party appears to have repeated in Hastings the same top-down preselection play used in Nepean, raising fresh questions about rank-and-file members being shut out and the political cost of party arrogance.

A Rye resident says promises of a new hospital in Rosebud should be viewed realistically, noting that funding decisions rest with the Victorian Government through the state budget.

The Nepean by-election campaign has been thrown into fresh controversy after leaked text messages revealed Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh privately backed a Labor candidate during the 2022 Victorian state election.

Libertarian candidate Peter Angelico says his Nepean by-election campaign will focus on business pressures, local infrastructure and growing voter frustration with the major parties.

Five candidates have announced campaigns for the 2026 Nepean by-election following the resignation of Sam Groth. STPL News is tracking the candidates and key developments as the campaign unfolds.

STPL News has published an interim snapshot of results from the Rate Your State MP survey, covering Hastings, Mornington and Frankston for the 2022–2026 term. The survey is ongoing and voluntary. See response totals, key themes and interim grades, and take the survey.

Former Liberal Party member Shane Osborne has confirmed to STPL News he has nominated to run for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in Hastings after withdrawing from Liberal preselection and resigning his membership. The Liberals have not announced a candidate at publication time.

The Nepean by-election is set for 2 May after Sam Groth’s resignation. Labor is not running, One Nation has named Darren Hercus, and a Roy Morgan poll shows One Nation leading in Victoria. Anthony Marsh’s past statements and a verified how-to-vote card have added scrutiny as the May by-election and November state election approaches.

Anthony Marsh has been confirmed as the Liberal Party’s candidate for Nepean, after weeks of reporting on his preselection bid and internal division within local party ranks.

Anthony Marsh’s previous written survey responses on party affiliation and political donations are being revisited as the Mornington Peninsula mayor seeks Liberal preselection for the Nepean by-election on 2 May 2026.

STPL News has launched a community feedback survey inviting residents in Hastings, Mornington and Frankston to rate their local state MP’s performance during the current parliamentary term (2022–2026). Nepean will open after the by-election result.

Key claims first reported by STPL News about Anthony Marsh’s bid for Liberal preselection in Nepean have now been confirmed by major media reporting.

Senior Liberal Party sources claim Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Anthony Marsh has recently joined the party and intends to seek Nepean preselection following Sam Groth’s resignation announcement.

Frustration over youth crime and bail laws led to a protest in Hastings, with locals demanding action from the State Government and MP Paul Mercurio. https://wp.me/pgbDsE-17y

Nepean MP Sam Groth rises to Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, while Mornington MP Chris Crewther has been appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Housing and Rental Affordability as Brad Battin reorganises the shadow cabinet following a leadership spill.

Brad Battin Elected as Victorian Liberal Leader After Party Room VoteBrad Battin has been voted in as the new leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, replacing John Pesutto after a party room vote amid tensions over the Moira Deeming case.

Tim Pallas, Victoria’s longest-serving treasurer, announced after almost two decades in parliament that he is resigning as Victorian Treasurer and Werribee MP. While Mr Pallas described his decision as part of a natural process of renewal, critics have accused him of abandoning ship amid mounting financial pressures on the state.

Port of Hastings Chosen for Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal
The Port of Hastings has been selected as the preferred location for the development of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal, a key project aimed at bolstering the state's offshore wind capacity.
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