Overview
- The government moved to introduce the IBAC Amendment Bill on Tuesday by expanding IBAC’s powers to ‘follow the money’ and broadening the legal definition of corrupt conduct to include non‑criminal and serious disciplinary matters.
- A late carve‑out in the bill would stop IBAC from using its new powers to re‑examine matters it has already investigated, declined or referred, including allegations former premier Jacinta Allan sent over organised‑crime links to Big Build projects.
- The Coalition and the Greens have threatened to withdraw support and Opposition shadow attorney‑general James Newbury called the last‑minute change a “shameful con,” putting the package’s passage at risk before parliament is prorogued for the state election.
- The government says the Kourakis royal commission will lead historic Big Build inquiries and that a proposed special prosecutor will be able to bring charges and share commission evidence with Victoria Police, IBAC and other agencies.
- Premier Ben Carroll has signalled future moves to lower the high threshold for IBAC public hearings, and the broader reforms face political tests that could determine whether Victorians get more transparency or see past allegations pursued outside IBAC.