‘I forgot to pay’: Premier Carroll’s petrol drive-off deemed a civil matter by police

Victorian premier says it was a simple mistake; police commissioner says accidental drive-offs are not criminal

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Updated21 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources5 outlets

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has been at the centre of a police inquiry after accidentally driving off from a service station without paying for petrol. Police Commissioner Mike Bush has since described the incident as a civil matter, noting the premier quickly paid the bill after being contacted by authorities on Tuesday night. The episode has created an awkward political contrast, coming months after the previous premier decried a rise in illegal petrol drive-offs across the state.

What we know so far

Victoria’s premier, Ben Carroll, says he forgot to pay for petrol after filling up at a service station in Niddrie on Monday night and paid as soon as he realised.
Police made inquiries and began searching for Carroll after he drove off without paying; they contacted him on Tuesday night and no further action is expected, according to The Guardian.
Carroll had been responding to an alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines earlier that evening, The Guardian reports.
Carroll met Victoria’s police commissioner, the AFP chief and the prime minister earlier on Tuesday while police were looking for him, according to The Guardian.

How it unfolded

19 OctLate Monday night, Ben Carroll filled up his car at a service station near his home in Niddrie and drove off without paying, according to The Guardian.
20 OctCarroll met Victoria’s police commissioner, the AFP chief and the prime minister; police had begun searching for him over the unpaid petrol, The Guardian reports.
20 OctPolice contacted Carroll through the Department of Parliamentary Services and he returned to the service station to pay, according to The Guardian.
21 OctCarroll said in a statement that he had forgotten to pay and 'fixed the bill straight away', The Guardian reported.

Late Monday night, Premier Ben Carroll filled his car near his home in the electorate of Niddrie. Unbeknown to him, he drove off without paying. The oversight triggered a police search that concluded on Tuesday evening when officers contacted him through the Department of Parliamentary Services.

"Late Monday night, I was running some errands and filled up the car with petrol," Carroll said in a statement early on Wednesday. "[I] found out yesterday I forgot to pay. I fixed the bill straight away." He added that he was grateful for the understanding shown by the service station staff.

The irony of the situation was compounded by the fact that earlier on Tuesday, Carroll had met with Police Commissioner Mike Bush, AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Speaking at an Age forum on Wednesday, Carroll attempted to laugh off the embarrassment, revealing that former deputy premier John Thwaites had called to share a similar story. "Don't worry, Ben. I didn't pay for the petrol, and I also drove off with the nozzle in the car," Thwaites told him. Carroll said the anecdote "made me feel a lot better" and demonstrated that "even premiers make mistakes."

Commissioner Bush provided the official police perspective, stating that a petrol drive-off is a "civil matter unless it's proven otherwise." He said that when an action is accidental and non-deliberate, "it becomes a very civil matter" and noted that the civil redress had been made. "It does occur and that's why we're very careful not to criminalise every petrol driver," Bush added.

The incident carries political weight because Carroll's predecessor, Jacinta Allan, told parliament in March that police were grappling with a rise in illegal drive-offs. "We are seeing a rise in incidents of drive-offs at service stations, and it is an illegal practice," she said at the time. The contrasting framing of the issue underscores the sensitivity surrounding the incident.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The episode forces a comparison between how the premier and ordinary citizens are treated for the same oversight, testing public perceptions of fairness.
It creates a direct political conflict with the Allan government's previous hardline stance on petrol theft as a criminal issue.
The swift police and premier response may limit political damage, but the story's human elements keep it in the public eye.

Background

Premier Ben Carroll accidentally drove off from a service station without paying for petrol on Monday night. He was unaware of the mistake until police contacted him on Tuesday evening. He returned to pay immediately. The matter was closed as a civil issue by Victoria Police. The incident comes months after the previous premier, Jacinta Allan, highlighted rising petrol theft as an illegal practice challenging police resources.

Key Perspectives

Ben Carroll: A simple, honest mistake made during a busy evening. The error was rectified the moment it was discovered, and he has expressed gratitude to the service station staff. Victoria Police / Mike Bush: The incident lacked criminal intent, making it a civil matter. The payment resolved the situation entirely, and police are careful not to criminalise accidental actions. Critics/Skeptics: The handling contrasts sharply with the previous government's public characterisation of petrol drive-offs as a rising and illegal problem, raising questions about equal treatment under the law and political accountability.

What to Watch

Whether opposition parties pursue the issue in state parliament.
Any clarification or policy shift from Victoria Police on how it classifies accidental drive-offs versus intentional theft.
The lasting impact on Premier Carroll's public image and the government's messaging on law and order.

Sources

Carroll on petrol bungle · Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
‘I forgot to pay’: Victoria’s premier Ben Carroll drives off without paying for petrol, sparking police inquiries · Australia news | The Guardian
‘I forgot to pay’: Victoria’s premier Ben Carroll drives off without paying for petrol, sparking police inquiries · World news | The Guardian
Carroll on petrol bungle · Brisbane Times - Latest News
Carroll on petrol bungle · WA Today - Latest News

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 5 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedPolice deemed Carroll’s petrol drive-off a civil matter.World news | The Guardian: “Bush said the view of police was that a petrol drive-off was a “civil matter unless it’s proven otherwise””
Partly supportedAccidental petrol drive-offs are not criminal.World news | The Guardian: ““If someone does something accidentally, non-deliberately, it becomes a very civil matter,” the commissioner said. “That civil redress is available, and I do understand that civil redress was made.””
Partly supportedCarroll was at the centre of a police inquiry over the drive-off.World news | The Guardian: “Unbeknown to him – as he met with Victoria police commissioner, Mike Bush, the head of the Australian federal police, Krissy Barrett, and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese – officers had begun searching for him.”
SupportedCarroll said, “Late Monday night, I was running some errands and filled up the car with petrol,” and, “[I] found out yesterday I forgot to pay. I fixed the bill straight away.”World news | The Guardian: ““Late Monday night, I was running some errands and filled up the car with petrol,” Carroll said in a statement early on Wednesday morning. “[I] found out yesterday I forgot to pay. I fixed the bill straight away.””
Partly supportedCarroll quickly paid after authorities contacted him on Tuesday night.World news | The Guardian: “On Tuesday night, Ben Carroll received a phone call: police were looking for him.”
Partly supportedCarroll filled up near his home in Niddrie late Monday night.World news | The Guardian: “It’s understood Carroll had filled up his car near his home in his electorate of Niddrie on Monday night”
SupportedCarroll met Bush, Barrett and Albanese earlier on Tuesday.World news | The Guardian: “Unbeknown to him – as he met with Victoria police commissioner, Mike Bush, the head of the Australian federal police, Krissy Barrett, and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese – officers had begun searching for him.”
SupportedThwaites told Carroll, “Don’t worry, Ben. I didn’t pay for the petrol, and I also drove off with the nozzle in the car.”World news | The Guardian: “Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Carroll said the former deputy premier John Thwaites had contacted him to say: “Don’t worry, Ben. I didn’t pay for the petrol, and I also drove off with the nozzle in the car.””
SupportedBush said, “It does occur and that’s why we’re very careful not to criminalise every petrol driver.”World news | The Guardian: ““It does occur and that’s why we’re very careful not to criminalise every petrol driver. We do understand, and I’m very empathic and sympathetic to petrol station owners who do suffer, but it’s not always criminal [behaviour].””
SupportedAllan told parliament in March, “We are seeing a rise in incidents of drive-offs at service stations, and it is an illegal practice.”World news | The Guardian: ““We are seeing a rise in incidents of drive-offs at service stations, and it is an illegal practice,” she said in March.”