Victoria's upper house has sent Premier Ben Carroll's work-from-home laws to a parliamentary committee, the ABC reports — a major blow for Labor ahead of the November state election, delivered by the narrowest possible margin: 18 votes to 17.
Labor had expected its legislation to pass on Thursday afternoon, after Mr Carroll made a series of concessions for businesses. Instead, a deferral motion brought by Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman got up — with Labor-MP-turned-independent Adem Somyurek returning to parliament after a months-long absence to vote for the referral. Mr Carroll took aim at Opposition Leader Jess Wilson in a press conference after the vote. "What we have seen tonight is anti-family [and] anti-worker," he said.
Mr Bourman's case, made ahead of the vote, was about burden rather than principle. "There are a lot of employer associations that are concerned that the extra burden and extra problems that this may cause will make it harder for businesses to flourish and even harder to start," he said. "There's a lot of extra bureaucracy. A lot of extra time and effort … and businesses are nervous. We're still coming out of the COVID period." He added: "The government is the government — they can call an extra sitting date if they want. We're not trying to block the bill."
The bill now goes to a committee to assess its economic impact on the state, which makes it unlikely to be debated before the election. Asked whether he would recall MPs for an extra sitting week, the premier indicated he would not. "I've already added one week to the parliamentary sitting," Mr Carroll said.
Business calls it sense; the Greens call it a botch
The business sector, which opposed the legislation over flexibility concerns and additional costs, welcomed the vote. Property Council Victoria executive director Cath Evans said the deferral "was the only correct choice". "The Victorian Parliament has seen sense," she said. "Instead of forcing rushed legislation through parliament, it has made the right call by sending the bill to a committee to properly examine its operation, implications and legal validity." Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black went further, urging the premier to drop the policy as an election pledge. "This referral should be the final nail in the coffin for this economy-wrecking legislation," he said. "The bill is not needed, it hurts jobs and adds costs to businesses at the worst time."
From the other flank, Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell demanded parliament be recalled to pass the laws before November. "Workers were promised a right to work from home. Labor delayed it, gutted it and then completely botched getting it through Parliament," she said. "Labor had the opportunity to pass a bill, and through sheer political incompetence and kowtowing to big corporations, they've now left workers with nothing."
A promise with a long tail
The policy has been troubled since birth. Then-premier Jacinta Allan announced it at the ALP's state conference in 2025, saying she intended to enshrine the rights before the 2026 election — but it went on to be questioned by legal experts and opposed by the business sector. Mr Carroll later delayed the laws' commencement by nearly a year while the government consulted business groups, and has previously told the ABC that resetting his relationship with the business sector was one of his key priorities.
A right that was promised as law before the election is now a committee reference after it. Whether that counts as scrutiny or as a burial is exactly what the campaign will argue about — one vote decided which version Victorians hear first.
