Victoria’s royal commission into the construction sector will be overseen by the former Chief Justice of South Australia.
The appointment of Chris Kourakis was ticked off at a meeting of Premier Ben Carroll’s cabinet on Thursday morning, as he also moved to lock in the terms of reference for the long-awaited commission.
The inquiry will have the power to call Carroll’s predecessors Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan to examine how wrongdoing occurred on the Big Build.
The move, which comes after two years of reporting by The Age on corruption and organised crime on construction sites for government infrastructure, was Carroll’s first promise after becoming leader last month.
He will today advise the state’s governor to issue the letters patent establishing the inquiry. The government will also begin the process of creating a special prosecutor to work alongside the commission.
Kourakis served as South Australia’s Chief Justice from 2012 until his retirement from the bench earlier this year. He was previously the state’s Solicitor-General from 2003 to 2008.
Carroll has said that the commission is “not something that can wait”, pledging upon replacing Allan that it would be up and running before November’s state election, with an “exhaustive” investigative remit.
The former premier refused to set up the inquiry despite pressure from integrity advocates, the opposition and her own MPs after two years of reporting by The Age, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes on organised crime and corruption in Victoria’s Big Build.
Known as Building Bad, that investigation has uncovered serious allegations of organised criminal infiltration of taxpayer-funded construction projects, violence and drug use on work sites, payments to so-called “fixers” such as underworld figure Mick Gatto, and concerns the government presided over a culture where builders were encouraged to give in to demands from the increasingly lawless CFMEU.
As recently as Thursday, this masthead revealed that the former national vice-president of the Mongols outlaw bikie gang is being investigated by police over allegations he offered inducements to officials still serving in the CFMEU in return for their support of his business.
Before Labor’s leadership change, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson had promised the Coalition would order its own royal commission if it were to claim power in November. She released her proposed terms of reference earlier this month, setting the stage for a political fight over Carroll’s commission.
More to come
Explore our investigation
- How we got here:Labor, the CFMEU and the $109 billion question that Victorians want answered.
- The original investigation:Uncovering construction infiltration by bikies and organised criminals.
- ‘Rotting from the top’:How bribery, drugs, and bikies likely cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
- Biggest projects affected:Suburban Rail Loop and North East Link subject to allegations of fraud, corruption and theft.
- Bombshell briefing:Advisers sought to warn Jacinta Allan of union misconduct and criminal infiltration on the Big Build long before the scandal broke.
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