Victoria election 2026
what each party promises police

Victoria votes on Saturday 28 November 2026. The state's elections are fixed for the last Saturday in November every four years, so this date isn't in doubt. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) says enrolment closes at 8pm on Tuesday 3 November 2026, which is Melbourne Cup Day, and that early voting will run at about 200 centres before election day.

The context has shifted this year. Ben Carroll became Premier on 28 July 2026 after Jacinta Allan stepped down, and Paul Edbrooke took over the police portfolio in August. Jess Wilson leads the Liberal–Nationals Coalition, with Brad Battin as Shadow Minister for Police. Both sides have made crime and police numbers central to their campaigns.

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Victoria election: what changes for police, the day it's decided

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The two major parties agree that Victoria needs more police. They differ on how many, where they come from, how they're trained and what happens to local stations. Here's the comparison in one table, with the details and sources in the sections below.

Extra police officers

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

1,500, taking the force to 'just over 17,000' (13 Sep 2026)

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

3,000 (12 Apr 2026)

Overseas recruits

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

None announced

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

Half of the 3,000 (about 1,500) experienced officers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand

Relocation money

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

None announced

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

$5,000 per overseas recruit

Police stations

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

No reopening pledge; reservists already staffing longer counter hours at 10 stations (16 Aug 2026)

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

Reopen or restore hours at more than 40 stations 'closed or operating on reduced hours'

Training academy

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

Second permanent academy in Wyndham, to open within the next term; upgrades at Glen Waverley; triple-squad graduations

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

No new academy; Shadow Minister Brad Battin said one isn't needed

Fast-tracking

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

Applications from Defence veterans and PSOs

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

Dedicated recruitment teams and fast-tracked checks

PSOs

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

200 extra PSOs funded in the past year (government decision, not a pledge)

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

200 extra PSOs (pledged Nov 2025 and April 2026)

Cost published

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

Not published

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

$565m over the first four years, $370m a year at full strength (AAP)

Pay or the enterprise agreement

Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)

No change announced

Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)

No change announced

Issue	Labor (Premier Ben Carroll)	Liberal–Nationals Coalition (Jess Wilson)
Extra police officers	1,500, taking the force to 'just over 17,000' (13 Sep 2026)	3,000 (12 Apr 2026)
Overseas recruits	None announced	Half of the 3,000 (about 1,500) experienced officers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand
Relocation money	None announced	$5,000 per overseas recruit
Police stations	No reopening pledge; reservists already staffing longer counter hours at 10 stations (16 Aug 2026)	Reopen or restore hours at more than 40 stations 'closed or operating on reduced hours'
Training academy	Second permanent academy in Wyndham, to open within the next term; upgrades at Glen Waverley; triple-squad graduations	No new academy; Shadow Minister Brad Battin said one isn't needed
Fast-tracking	Applications from Defence veterans and PSOs	Dedicated recruitment teams and fast-tracked checks
PSOs	200 extra PSOs funded in the past year (government decision, not a pledge)	200 extra PSOs (pledged Nov 2025 and April 2026)
Cost published	Not published	$565m over the first four years, $370m a year at full strength (AAP)
Pay or the enterprise agreement	No change announced	No change announced

Sources: ABC News 12 Apr and 13 Sep 2026; AAP 12 Apr and 13 Sep 2026; Brad Battin MP release; Premier of Victoria releases 18 Apr, 13 Aug, 16 Aug and 17 Sep 2026; Martin Cameron MP 20 Nov 2025; 3AW April 2026. Read 9 October 2026. Election promises only: neither side's police policy is law or funded until a government delivers it.

The election won't change your next pay rise. It will decide who negotiates the one after it.

Two things stand out. First, the gap is mostly about scale: Labor's 1,500 would roughly fill today's vacancies, while the Coalition's 3,000 would fill them and add about as many again. Second, neither party has announced anything on officer pay, allowances or the enterprise agreement. For serving officers, the more practical question is workload: how quickly either plan puts new people on your roster.

Labor's core pledge is 1,500 extra police. ABC News reported it would take the force to "just over 17,000", the figure The Police Association Victoria has campaigned for. In his 17 September speech to the Association, the Premier said Victoria needs 17,020 officers for a full force.

A second academy in Wyndham

A re-elected Labor government would build a second permanent police academy in Wyndham, in Melbourne's outer south-west, to run alongside Glen Waverley. ABC reported Labor wants it operating within its next term. The Premier said that without accommodation at Glen Waverley, the distance is "a hindrance" for would-be recruits. Labor also promised upgraded facilities and accommodation at Glen Waverley and a move from double-squad to triple-squad graduations.

Fast-tracking, reservists and wellbeing

The Liberal–Nationals pledge is 3,000 extra police. ABC News and AAP both reported that half would be experienced officers recruited from the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand, each offered a $5,000 relocation allowance, in a scheme modelled on Western Australia's overseas campaign. AAP reported the Coalition's costing as $565 million over the first four years and $370 million a year once all the extra officers are in the field.

Reopening stations

The Coalition says it will reopen more than 40 stations it describes as "closed or operating on reduced hours". It hasn't published a full list. Local announcements have filled in some of it: in Ararat, for example, the Coalition says the station counter would return to 24 hours (it currently runs 7am to 11pm, according to the Stawell Times). Expect more local announcements during the campaign.

How the recruiting would work

Brad Battin's release describes dedicated recruitment teams running several squads at once and fast-tracked applicant checks. On training, he told the ABC that overseas officers would "still have to go through the academy for parts of their training". The Coalition has said a new academy isn't needed. Our guide to the Coalition's UK recruitment plan covers the overseas side in depth.

Victoria's Legislative Council is elected by proportional representation across eight regions, so minor parties often hold the balance of power there. That matters for police because legislation on powers, bail and sentencing has to pass both houses, even though pay and numbers are mostly decided in the budget.

One Nation

Police-related position found

More police resources and less paperwork, harsher penalties for repeat offenders, a 24/7 bail court; AAP described the 63-page policy as uncosted

Source

AAP, 3 Oct 2026

Victorian Greens

Police-related position found

No 2026 police-numbers policy found in our searches

Source

Not found as at 9 October 2026

Independents and others

Police-related position found

Positions vary by candidate

Source

Check your candidates' own materials

Party	Police-related position found	Source
One Nation	More police resources and less paperwork, harsher penalties for repeat offenders, a 24/7 bail court; AAP described the 63-page policy as uncosted	AAP, 3 Oct 2026
Victorian Greens	No 2026 police-numbers policy found in our searches	Not found as at 9 October 2026
Independents and others	Positions vary by candidate	Check your candidates' own materials

We'll add other parties' commitments when they're announced. Read 9 October 2026.

If a party's police policy isn't listed, it doesn't mean they have none; it means we haven't found a published commitment yet. The VEC publishes the candidate list after nominations close.

Victoria Police's own employee figures show 15,564 police full-time equivalent at 30 June 2026, down from 15,909 a year earlier and 16,059 in June 2024. On top of that were 293 recruits in training and about 1,432 PSOs. Victoria Police reported more than 1,500 vacancies in May 2026; The Police Association Victoria has cited 1,407 and "nearly 1,500".

Calculated by us: the gap between the June 2026 headcount and the 17,020 full-strength figure is 1,456. That's why Labor's 1,500 is framed as taking the force to "just over 17,000": it's largely about filling vacancies. If both pledges were fully delivered on top of today's numbers, the force would reach about 17,064 under Labor or 18,564 under the Coalition.

Victoria Police pay is set by the Victoria Police Enterprise Agreement 2025, approved by the Fair Work Commission on 4 April 2025. It has one scheduled rise left: a 3.0% increase to the Schedule A rates on 1 June 2027, with allowances stepping up too. It nominally expires on 31 May 2028. A change of government doesn't cancel an approved agreement.

Recruit (in training)

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$61,187

From 1 June 2027

$63,023

Change

+$1,836

Constable, point 1

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$84,060

From 1 June 2027

$86,582

Change

+$2,522

First Constable, point 3

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$90,399

From 1 June 2027

$93,111

Change

+$2,712

Senior Constable, point 5

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$102,648

From 1 June 2027

$105,728

Change

+$3,080

Senior Constable, point 12

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$118,945

From 1 June 2027

$122,513

Change

+$3,568

Sergeant, point 1

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$137,812

From 1 June 2027

$141,946

Change

+$4,134

Senior Sergeant, point 1

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$155,601

From 1 June 2027

$160,269

Change

+$4,668

PSO, point 1

Now (from 1 June 2026)

$77,508

From 1 June 2027

$79,833

Change

+$2,325

Rank and point	Now (from 1 June 2026)	From 1 June 2027	Change
Recruit (in training)	$61,187	$63,023	+$1,836
Constable, point 1	$84,060	$86,582	+$2,522
First Constable, point 3	$90,399	$93,111	+$2,712
Senior Constable, point 5	$102,648	$105,728	+$3,080
Senior Constable, point 12	$118,945	$122,513	+$3,568
Sergeant, point 1	$137,812	$141,946	+$4,134
Senior Sergeant, point 1	$155,601	$160,269	+$4,668
PSO, point 1	$77,508	$79,833	+$2,325

Source: Victoria Police Enterprise Agreement 2025, Schedule A. Rates already include the 13% commuted penalty and exclude the Operational Readiness, General Duties and other allowances. On 1 June 2027 Constable point 1 moves from $84,060 to $86,582.

The agreement also phases in allowances that sit on top. From 1 June 2026, the Operational Readiness Allowance is $2,644 a year at Constable point 1, and eligible general duties members also get a General Duties Allowance of $1,322. Final scheduled increase under the 2025 agreement: Schedule A rates rise 3.0% (e.g. Constable 1 to $86,582, Recruit to $63,023), and allowances step up, including the last phase of the Operational Readiness Allowance (Constable 1 to $3,632) and General Duties Allowance (Constable 1 to $1,816).

Where the election does matter for pay

The government elected on 28 November will be in office when bargaining starts for the agreement that replaces this one. The last round was long: it took about 18 months and ended with a 76% yes vote in February 2025. Neither party has said what it would offer next time, and neither has announced a public sector wages policy specific to police for the next term. Our Victoria Police pay deal guide has the full history.

For a sense of what the current rates mean in your account: Constable point 1 on $84,060 takes home about $2,563 a fortnight after 2026-27 tax and the Medicare levy, and Senior Constable point 5 on $102,648 about $3,049, by our calculation, before allowances, super and salary sacrifice.

Free tool

See your Victoria Police take-home pay

Pick your rank and point, add shifts and overtime, and see your fortnightly pay after 2026-27 tax.

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For most serving officers, the biggest practical effect of either plan is on rosters. Vacancies mean cancelled rest days, recalls and stretched vans. Both parties are promising more people; they differ on where those people go first.

Station counters

Labor approach

Reservists (retired officers) staffing counters so sworn members can patrol; 10 stations open longer so far

Coalition approach

Reopen or restore hours at 40+ stations

Frontline numbers

Labor approach

1,500 extra police over an unspecified period

Coalition approach

3,000 extra police over an unspecified period

Who joins

Labor approach

Local recruits, plus fast-tracked veterans and PSOs

Coalition approach

Half local, half experienced officers from the UK, Ireland and NZ

Wellbeing

Labor approach

BlueHub funding continued if re-elected

Coalition approach

Nothing specific found as at 9 October 2026

Issue	Labor approach	Coalition approach
Station counters	Reservists (retired officers) staffing counters so sworn members can patrol; 10 stations open longer so far	Reopen or restore hours at 40+ stations
Frontline numbers	1,500 extra police over an unspecified period	3,000 extra police over an unspecified period
Who joins	Local recruits, plus fast-tracked veterans and PSOs	Half local, half experienced officers from the UK, Ireland and NZ
Wellbeing	BlueHub funding continued if re-elected	Nothing specific found as at 9 October 2026

Sources: Premier of Victoria releases 16 Aug and 17 Sep 2026; ABC News 12 Apr and 13 Sep 2026; Brad Battin MP release.

There's a trade-off worth thinking about. Reopening stations adds counter and supervision shifts that need staffing; that's why the Coalition pairs it with more officers. Labor's reservist model uses retired officers on the counter instead. The government says 400 reservists will free up 86,000 shifts a year.

Experienced overseas recruits would arrive needing Victorian law, procedure and local knowledge, but probably less field training than new recruits. How either plan affects field training, tutoring loads and promotion opportunities hasn't been addressed by either party. If those matter to you, raise them through The Police Association Victoria, which represents members to whichever party forms government.

None of the pledges changes the leave, overtime or roster rules in the current agreement. Our Victoria Police leave guide sets out what you're entitled to today, and our promotion guide explains how merit selection works.

Training capacity is the bottleneck either government would hit. Victoria Police's Foundation Training Program now runs 25 weeks at Glen Waverley, cut from 31. Recruits are paid $61,187 until they're sworn in at week 12, then $84,060 as a Constable. In May 2026 Victoria Police said it had doubled its intake from 650 to 1,300 recruits a year, inducting 52 every two weeks.

1. 1

   Now: Glen Waverley

   Existing

   The single permanent academy. 25-week course; about 1,300 recruits a year after the May 2026 increase.

2. 2

   January 2027: Mildura

   Announced Jun 2026

   A regional academy running a 25-week program for up to 25 recruits per course, under existing plans (not an election pledge).

3. 3

   If Labor wins: Wyndham

   Pledge

   A second permanent academy in Melbourne's south-west, plus triple-squad graduations and more trainers. No site, cost or capacity published.

4. 4

   If the Coalition wins: overseas squads

   Pledge

   Experienced officers doing parts of academy training, run through dedicated recruitment squads. Course length not published.

Applications aren't the problem they were: Victoria Police received 9,007 applications in 2025-26, the most since 2018-19. The Police Association's Wayne Gatt said that recruiting quickly matters, telling AAP that hiring recruits "within weeks and not months" makes a full force more achievable. Our Victoria Police Academy guide covers the course week by week.

PSOs have been part of both campaigns. The Labor government says it funded 200 additional PSOs in the year to August 2026: 50 in the April budget ($44 million) and 150 more announced on 13 August. It also moved to an intelligence-led deployment model in April, with PSOs starting from 9am at some stations and patrolling trains, and changed regulations so PSOs can patrol local shopping strips.

The Coalition pledged 200 additional PSOs in November 2025, describing them as strike teams for high-risk shopping centres, including in Morwell, Moe and Traralgon. In April 2026, Jess Wilson described a plan for 200 PSOs across 120 train stations, which then Police Minister Anthony Carbines called "reheated". It isn't clear from the reporting whether these are the same 200.

If you're a PSO thinking about becoming a police officer, Labor's promise to fast-track PSO applications is directly relevant. Under the current agreement (cl 75.1), PSOs who complete the Constable Qualifying Program move onto a Constable increment that matches their PSO salary. See our PSO guide for pay and progression.

After the election, the first budget and the incoming government's instructions to Victoria Police will show which promises get funded and when. We'll check both and update this page. If you want the summary by email the day the result is clear, use the sign-up above or below.