The extent of ‘corruption, criminal conduct or serious misconduct’ will be examined and former premiers could be called to give evidence.
The royal commission into allegations of corruption on Victorian government construction sites will hold an opening hearing in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The inquiry was the first commitment made by the new premier, Ben Carroll, when he became Labor leader in July, after ousting Jacinta Allan, who had resisted calls for one. In August, Carroll released the terms of reference and appointed Chris Kourakis, the former chief justice of South Australia, to lead the inquiry, while acknowledging there had been “grift”, “thuggery” and “violence” on taxpayer-funded construction sites.
The issue again gained prominence in February after the release of a report by Geoffrey Watson SC, a director of the Centre for Public Integrity, during a Queensland inquiry into the union. The report, commissioned by the administrator of the CFMEU, alleged $15bn might have been lost to wrongdoing on taxpayer-funded construction sites in Victoria.
In July, Allan – who before served as the minister for transport infrastructure overseeing the Big Build – admitted criminals had infiltrated government sites and apologised in an opinion piece in the Age.
Under the terms of reference, the commission will investigate the extent to which “corruption, criminal conduct or serious misconduct” occurred on Victorian projects by the CFMEU, construction companies, subcontractors, labour hire firms and others.
Chris Young KC and Christopher Carr SC, have been appointed as counsel helping.
On its website, the royal commission said it was committed to transparency and the principles of open justice.