Two key unions turn on Labor, running attack ads and pulling campaign funds a month out from Victorian election
Summary
Two major unions have withdrawn support for Victoria’s Labor government ahead of the November 2026 state election. The Australian Services Union is running ads criticizing Premier Ben Carroll and will not canvass for Labor, while the Electrical Trades Union has canceled its planned statewide campaign and redirected funds toward preparing for a construction royal commission.Key Facts
- The Australian Services Union says it will not door-knock for Labor in the weeks before the election.
- The ASU’s ads accuse Ben Carroll and Labor of lying over the government’s decision not to lift a cap on council rates.
- The ASU says it had an agreement with former premier Jacinta Allan to lift the cap, but Carroll scrapped the plan after taking over as premier.
- The ASU ads are scheduled to run online in several electorates, including Carroll’s seat of Niddrie and seats held by senior Labor figures.
- The Electrical Trades Union’s state council resolved not to run a third-party campaign for Labor at the 2026 election.
- The ETU said it would use campaign resources to prepare for and defend the union and its members in the construction royal commission.
- The ETU resolution cited polling that it commissioned, which predicted Labor would win 25 seats, 10 fewer than an earlier forecast.
- A Victorian government spokesperson said Carroll was fighting for working people and criticized the Liberal–One Nation coalition.
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