# Victorian premier forgets to pay for petrol

> Ben Carroll drove off from a service station without paying on Monday night and only discovered the mistake after police contacted him.
- Title: Victorian premier forgets to pay for petrol · the Guardian
- Summary: Ben Carroll drove off from a service station without paying on Monday night and only discovered the mistake after police contacted him. Victorian premier Ben…
- Keywords: ben carroll, victorian premier, victoria, petrol drive-off, police inquiry, australian politics, news, politics, Victorian, premier, forgets, pay
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/21/i-forgot-to-pay-victorian-premier-ben-carroll-drove-off-with-paying-for-petrol-sparking-police-inquiries-ntwnfb
- Published: 2026-10-20T23:05:39+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ben carroll, victorian premier, victoria, petrol drive-off, police inquiry, australian politics, news, politics
## Premier leaves without paying
Victorian premier Ben Carroll drove away from a service station without paying for petrol on Monday night after filling up near his home in Niddrie.
## Police track him down
On Tuesday night, police contacted Carroll through the Department of Parliamentary Services to ask if he had driven off without paying. He had met with Victoria police commissioner Mike Bush that morning.
## Carroll pays and apologises
Carroll said in a statement Wednesday morning he forgot to pay and fixed the bill straight away. He was grateful for the team at the servo for their understanding.

> I forgot to pay. I fixed the bill straight away.
## Police call it a civil matter
Victoria police commissioner Mike Bush said petrol drive-offs are a civil matter unless proven otherwise. If someone acts accidentally and non-deliberately, it becomes very civil, he said.

> If someone does something accidentally, non-deliberately, it becomes a very civil matter.
## No further action expected
No further action is expected to be taken. Carroll later said former deputy premier John Thwaites told him he had also driven off with the nozzle in the car.
## Key takeaway

Victorian premier Ben Carroll inadvertently left a service station without paying for petrol on Monday night; police contacted him Tuesday and he paid the bill immediately.