New Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has refused to guarantee that current work-from-home laws will remain unchanged under his leadership, a shift from his previous strong support for the policy.
Carroll, who took office recently, stated that the legislation granting employees a broad right to work from home two days a week is currently before state Parliament. "That legislation is before parliament, and I have nothing to answer or say on that today," Carroll said at his second press conference since becoming Premier. He added, "Work from home is good for families and it is good for workers."
This stance marks a departure from Carroll's position a year ago, when he vocally backed the proposal. "If you can do your job from home, you should have the right to. The Allan Labor Government will protect the right to work from home in legislation - making it easier for families to juggle life and work," he stated at the time.
The proposed laws were a key initiative of former Premier Jacinta Allan and have faced significant opposition from business groups. The Australian Industry Group Victoria, represented by its head Tim Piper, criticized the legislation as "unnecessary" and "burdensonme," suggesting it was politically motivated rather than economically beneficial.
Carroll has indicated an intention to foster a more business-friendly government following considerable backlash from Victoria's business community regarding previous policies. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and the Coalition have already labeled Carroll "Backflip Ben" and "two-faced" within his first two days in office. They pointed to a recent instance where Carroll pledged to introduce workplace protection orders for retail workers, only for Labor MPs to vote against a Coalition bill that would have immediately enacted such protections.
"The new Premier stood up this morning and said one of his first acts as Premier would be to provide workplace protection orders to retail workers across Victoria. Yet an hour later he walked into Parliament and voted against legislation that would have provided those protections immediately," Wilson stated. Shadow Attorney-General James Newbury echoed this criticism, calling the Premier "simply two-faced."
These controversies follow Carroll's decision to contest the leadership, despite having previously stated in June that he would not challenge Allan, citing his family as a reason for his loyalty. "I've got a young daughter at home and I couldn't be more proud to make sure she grows up knowing I supported Jacinta Allan," he said then.