Victoria’s new premier Ben Carroll has credited his teenage job at Kmart with helping prepare him for leadership, as former colleagues share memories of working alongside him.
Carroll, 51, got his first job stacking shelves and serving customers at Kmart in Airport West when he was just 15.
He stayed there for eight years while studying for an arts degree at La Trobe University.
During his time at Kmart, Carroll joined the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Union (SDA), which has strong influence within Labor’s Right faction. He later became part of that faction.
‘I remember him working in what was called the sight and sound section,’ one former Labor adviser, who worked alongside Carroll at Kmart, told the Australian Financial Review.
‘He was always quiet and well presented. He was always polite, but he took himself seriously, and you could see that he was driven.’
Carroll returned to those early years after being sworn in as Victoria’s Premier on Tuesday, saying the lessons he learned at Kmart would shape his approach to government.
‘My first job was at Kmart down the road from where I lived, where I grew up in Airport West. I still remember the joy of receiving my first pay cheque. It taught me, from a young age, the value of a dollar.
‘I still remember the joy of receiving my first pay cheque,’ said Ben Carroll. Above, seen as a high school student at St Bernard’s College
Carroll the politician is seen during a visit to Kmart. Carroll worked at Kmart for eight years
‘That’s why I understand why Victorians are concerned about government spending. Every dollar my government spends will be treated with respect.
‘It will be treated carefully, responsibly and only where it delivers the greatest value to Victoria and Victorians. We will focus on the basics, giving families the services and cost-of-living support they need.’
Born in 1975, Carroll grew up in Airport West in Melbourne’s north-west, the suburb he now represents as the MP for Niddrie.
His mother, Kay, was born in Texas before relocating to Australia, where she worked at Glenroy West Primary School.
His father, Greg, was a self-employed electrician until his business collapsed during the recession of the early 1990s.
Joining the Niddrie branch of the Labor Party in his early 20s set Carroll on the political path, with his first major role coming as a staffer to then-premier Steve Bracks after graduation.
He also worked in the motor vehicles division of an insurance company, served as a legal officer with the Victorian Solicitor-General’s Office, advised then-senator Stephen Conroy on the National Broadband Network in Canberra and later worked with former federal Labor leader Bill Shorten.
Carroll entered the Victorian Parliament in 2012 and quickly rose through Labor’s ranks.
Today, he still lives in Airport West with his wife, Fiona, a lawyer, and their young daughter, Madeline
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Over the past decade, he has held a succession of senior portfolios, including Industry and Employment, Public Transport, Roads, Education, Medical Research and WorkSafe, before being elevated to deputy premier under Jacinta Allan in 2023.
Carroll’s first tilt at the premiership came in 2023 after Daniel Andrews’ resignation, but a factional deal saw him step aside for Allan and accept the deputy’s role.
‘I was always very keen to rise,’ Carroll has said of his political ambitions.
Today, he still lives in Airport West with his wife, Fiona, a lawyer, and their young daughter, Madeline, in the electorate he now represents.
In his maiden speech, Carroll called for a royal commission into the Big Build corruption scandal.
He has championed tougher bail laws and is viewed as more business-friendly than Allan, raising expectations he may retreat from her work-from-home agenda.
‘Yesterday they asked me to put my hand up to lead our party and I agreed. This was not an easy decision, but the stakes at this election are too high.
‘Polling says Victoria is on track for Australia’s first Liberal-One Nation government,’ he said in a video released shortly after his swearing-in.
‘A Liberal-One Nation government will cut schools, health and frontline services. Only Labor can stop the Liberal-One Nation government that will hurt working people.
‘Only Labor can stop the risk of a Liberal-One Nation government that will hurt working people, but it is clear that on key issues that matter to Victorians, our government needs to go in a new direction on integrity, on community safety, and on the economy,’ Carroll said in a message on social media after being elected.
‘As premier, I will deliver that new direction.’
