Victoria’s Labor promises 20 free dental clinics if re-elected

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll will announce on Sunday that a re-elected Labor government would open 20 free dental clinics across Victoria, doubling an earlier promise of 10, AAP reported.

The clinics would be free to everyone, with no age limit, and would open from July 2027 if Labor wins the state election on 28 November. The plan would cost taxpayers $230 million and is expected to treat about 200,000 Victorians every year.

Fourteen of the clinics would be in Melbourne and six in regional centres: Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Latrobe, Mildura and Shepparton. Carroll said: “No Victorian should ever have to live in pain because they can’t afford to see a dentist.” His campaign bus was due to visit several of the planned clinic sites on Sunday.

The promise comes as Labor trails in the polls. A Roy Morgan poll released on Friday put the Coalition on 29.5 per cent of the primary vote, ahead of Labor on 22.5 per cent and One Nation on 22 per cent. The Greens were on 12.5 per cent, down from 14 per cent. Early voting opens on 18 November.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson was also on the campaign trail on Sunday, promising faster workplace protection orders to keep violent offenders away from workers they had abused. On Saturday she promised a $24.4 million radiation centre for Werribee if the Coalition wins. Both leaders have also agreed to take part in a four-way leaders’ debate with One Nation’s Warren Pickering and Greens leader Ellen Sandell.

Why it matters

Dental care is a major cost-of-living issue in Victoria, and free clinics are Labor’s main pitch to voters who are struggling with everyday bills. The doubled promise shows how hard Labor is fighting to hold on, with the Coalition ahead in the polls and One Nation close behind Labor.

What happens next

Carroll will formally announce the plan on Sunday. Voters will then weigh Labor’s dental promise against the Coalition’s plans, including its worker protection reforms, which Wilson said would start on 1 February next year if her party wins. The clinics will only go ahead if Labor is re-elected.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/labor-doubles-free-dentist-pledge-to-ease-poll-pain (AAP, 31 October 2026)
• https://www.europesays.com/australia/134624/ (Europe Says, republishing ABC News, 31 October 2026)