Overview
- Last week, on becoming premier, Ben Carroll announced a royal commission into alleged corruption on Victoria’s Big Build and said he wants the inquiry operating before the November state election.
- Carroll has asked the head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet to consult on the commission’s terms of reference and plans to consult cabinet before formally releasing those terms.
- He announced a special prosecutor to work alongside the commission and said he would give evidence if required, describing the inquiry as independent and exhaustive.
- Opposition leader Jess Wilson published her own expansive terms and a 25-person witness list that names former premiers Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan plus Ben Carroll, and she has refused to accept terms set by Labor alone.
- The commission is expected to examine union influence, procurement, donations and project oversight on major state builds, a process that can hold public hearings and feed into criminal prosecutions and could shape voter views ahead of the election.