2026-02-18
The Victorian Greens have called on the Victorian Labor Government, and the Liberal Opposition, to support the Green’s proposed ‘follow the dollar’ laws to fix IBAC and root out corruption on government infrastructure projects.
Reports from the Queensland Commission of Inquiry indicate that corruption on Victorian Labor’s major construction projects could have cost at least $15 billion of Victorian public money.
Labor Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly said she referred the matter to IBAC - knowing full well that IBAC does not have the powers to investigate corruption on government-funded projects that are managed and run by external companies and sub-contractors. IBAC has now confirmed that the matters in the letter were out of scope.
The Greens Bill to reform IBAC and expand its powers would fix this major gap in our anti-corruption watchdog. The Bill would implement recommendations from last year’s Integrity Oversight Committee report into IBAC to:
To investigate corrupt conduct by third parties and private subcontractors connected to government funding
Authorise disclosure of certain IBAC information to strengthen transparency and public accountability
Investigate grey corruption and hold public hearings for IBAC inquiries so Governments and Ministers can’t hide
The Greens say IBAC’s lack of ‘follow the dollar’ powers is a gaping hole in the law and a key reason why corruption risks continue in Victoria. These laws are ready to go and could be passed this week if the Victorian Labor Government chose to support them.
The Greens say Labor must stop hiding behind excuses and actually change the law, and that Victorians deserve nothing less than proper accountability and transparency given the scale of this corruption scandal.
Quotes from Ellen Sandell, Leader of the Victorian Greens:
“Labor has handed billions of dollars in public money to private corporations and subcontractors, but IBAC doesn’t have the power to follow that money. That’s a major gap in Victoria’s laws, it goes to the heart of how $15 billion can go missing on Labor’s major government projects
“This level of corruption on Labor’s major construction projects in Victoria is astounding. To stop this happening, we need to fix Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog and that means giving IBAC the power to follow public money wherever it’s being spent.|
“The Greens have drafted these anti-corruption laws, they’re ready to go, Labor needs to stop hiding behind excuses and support these laws right now.”