Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan rejects royal commission into Big Build corruption

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan told her cabinet she will not establish a royal commission into alleged corruption on major construction projects, arguing that such inquiries have limited impact on workplace culture. Allan cited a previous commission that produced only one conviction and failed to change behaviour.

A Resolve Political Monitor poll shows 71% of Victorians and 64% of Labor voters support a new royal commission, while only a small minority oppose it. Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne publicly challenged Allan, seeking assurances over serious allegations that a senior public servant was pressured to remove a company opposed by the CFMEU from a hospital project. Senior ministers Harriet Shing, Sonya Kilkenny and Steve Dimopoulos backed Allan’s stance during the cabinet meeting, and the debate was quickly shut down. Former federal court judge Ray Finkelstein argued that past commissions, such as the inquiry into Crown’s casino licence, did lead to significant governance reforms.