JCCV welcomes new Victorian Premier Ben Carroll

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria has welcomed the elevation of Ben Carroll to the Victorian Premiership, citing his record as Education Minister in confronting antisemitism in state schools.

Carroll, until now Deputy Premier and Education Minister, was unanimously endorsed by the state parliamentary Labor Party on Tuesday and is to be sworn in as Victoria’s 50th Premier at a ceremony at Government House.

JCCV president Philip Zajac said the incoming Premier was a familiar figure in communal life.

“Ben Carroll is well-known to many in our Jewish community. He has attended many community events, most recently last month’s Parliamentary Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations,” Zajac said.

“As Education Minister, he has led the Victorian Department of Education to take consistent and concrete steps to address antisemitism in Victorian schools. This has been done in close partnership with key Jewish educational leaders.”

Zajac said the community also remembered Carroll’s “strong and principled response to the October 7 terror attacks in Israel and his immediate recognition that these events would deeply impact Jewish Victorians”.

“The JCCV looks forward to working closely with the new Victorian Premier, and all Victorian Parliamentarians, to champion a vibrant and resilient future for our Jewish community.”

The leadership change followed days of instability inside Labor. Jacinta Allan resigned on Tuesday morning ahead of a caucus meeting at which she was expected to lose a spill motion.

She had refused to stand down a day earlier, when a cross-factional delegation including six ministers told her she had lost the support of the party room.

Zajac paid tribute to the outgoing Premier, whose term coincided with a period of sustained antisemitism in Victoria.

“While Jacinta Allan’s leadership coincided with an incredibly challenging period for Jewish Victorians, her door was always open to the Jewish community and she listened with warmth. This was especially true when she attended a community roundtable at Central Shule to better understand the impact of antisemitism on local Jewish women,” he said.

“For the Victorian Jewish community, Jacinta Allan leaves a real legacy. She led the Parliament to reform Victoria’s anti-vilification and hate crime laws. Another significant achievement was the commissioning of Victoria’s Multicultural Review to find ways to better address the challenges facing multicultural communities.”

Zajac said Allan had also established the Local Escalation and Help committee “to ensure direct and ongoing engagement between Jewish community leaders and the government”.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion also congratulated Carroll.

“In recent years, Ben has shown himself to be a true friend of the community, always receptive to our concerns, regularly attending communal events, and demonstrating a firm understanding of the realities on the ground in Israel and the Palestinian territories,” Aghion said. “Together with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, we very much look forward to building on this relationship and working with Ben in his new role.

“At the same time, we express our gratitude to outgoing premier Jacinta Allan for her willingness to engage with the community over the past three years.

“While we didn’t always achieve the outcomes we desired, a number of measures that did improve the security of the community were implemented on her watch, and her door was always open to us. She was always empathetic and prepared to listen.”

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler noted that Allan led Victoria “through the most challenging period the Jewish community have ever faced”.

“Following the October 7 terrorist attacks, the unprecedented rise in antisemitism and the firebombing of Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue, her Government responded with practical measures, including significant additional security funding for Jewish community institutions, reforms to Victoria’s anti-vilification and hate crime laws, the establishment of the Victorian Multicultural Review, and strong support for the community during a period of profound distress,” he said. “We are grateful for her leadership during that time.

“Premier Carroll is well known as a friend to the Jewish community. Over many years he has built strong relationships across our community, attended countless community events, stood with us following October 7 and consistently demonstrated an understanding of the importance of the Australia-Israel relationship and of ensuring Jewish Victorians can live safely and confidently.

“We look forward to working closely with Premier Carroll and his Government to build on that foundation.”