Ben Carroll is the new Victorian premier. He has a long and urgent to-do list – and 4 months until an election

Ben Carroll is Victoria's new premier after Jacinta Allan stepped down this morning. A rival candidate, Sonya Kilkenny, withdrew her bid, allowing Labor to avoid a lengthy leadership contest with only four months until the next state election. Carroll faces multiple urgent challenges: corruption allegations tied to Victoria's "Big Build" infrastructure program have shadowed the government, crime levels remain high according to the police minister's own assessment, and he must step beyond the legacy of predecessor Daniel Andrews, who won three consecutive elections for Labor. Per The Conversation, Carroll's immediate priorities include resolving a teacher pay dispute, potentially calling a royal commission into the Big Build allegations, and rebuilding party unity before voters decide whether Labor deserves another term.

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