‘Even premiers make mistakes’: Ben Carroll’s petrol pump admission
Updated . First published
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has apologised after he forgot to pay for his fuel in a recent visit to a petrol station.
The incident happened on Monday night, with the premier saying in a statement he was busy running errands when the mistake occurred.
Premier Ben Carroll said he worked to rectify his mistake as soon as he was informed of it. Eddie Jim
“Late Monday night, I was running some errands and filled up the car with petrol,” he said.
“Found out yesterday I forgot to pay.”
It is believed police were informed of Carroll’s failure to pay, with Parliamentary Services notified, leading to Carroll becoming aware of his error.
Victoria Police and Parliamentary Services Victoria have been contacted for comment.
Carroll said as soon as he found out, he took immediate action.
“I fixed the bill straight away,” he said.
He added that he was grateful for the team working at the petrol station for their understanding.
It is not known which petrol station Carroll was at when he forgot to pay.
Carroll further addressed his mistake at a conference in melbourne on Wednesday.
“I have paid,” he confirmed.
“It shows that politicians are human beings, and even premiers make mistakes.”
Opposition leader Jess Wilson resisted the urge to criticise Carroll for his moment of forgetfulness.
“We all make mistakes when we’re under a bit of pressure, the premier is under a bit of pressure,” Wilson said in a radio interview with 3AW.
“Look, he’s apologised.”
It comes during the middle of the state election campaign, with Victorians set to go to the polls on November 28.
Carroll replaced Jacinta Allan, right, as premier in July. Eddie Jim
Carroll is looking to lead Labor to a fourth straight term in office, but they are currently locked in a three-way battle with the Coalition and One Nation.
According to recent polling by Roy Morgan, the election is currently too close to call, with Labor on track to win 40 seats, and the Coalition set to hold 31 seats.
With One Nation predicted at this point to win 11 seats, it means no party at this stage is predicted to win enough seats to hold a majority, which is 45 seats in the Victorian parliament.
Carroll replaced Jacinta Allan in July, at a time when Labor’s position in the polls was flagging amid rising crime and scandals surrounding the state’s Big Build project.
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