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Premier Ben Carroll said lowering the high threshold to hold corruption hearings in public is “on the agenda” for future changes to the state’s peak anti-corruption body, as Labor pushes ahead with its integrity reforms despite criticism they don’t go far enough.
The government on Tuesday will introduce reforms to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) to give it long-awaited follow-the-money powers and lower the state’s definition of corrupt conduct, which will allow investigations into the conduct of private and third-party subcontractors on government projects.
Carroll said he will consider “everything” to improve the state’s integrity agency, including reducing barriers for public hearings.
Currently, IBAC hearings are held in private unless they meet the threshold for exceptional circumstances, including if it is in the public interest, and it will not cause unreasonable damage to a person’s reputation, wellbeing or safety. This high benchmark is the reason then-premier Daniel Andrews was questioned in secret in 2021 over four separate anti-corruption investigations.
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“It is a high threshold at the moment for good reason. We have seen people go through the most horrific circumstances when they have … felt the pressure of a full blowtorch investigation,” Carroll said on Tuesday.
“But … that is something we are going to look at because it was part of the parliamentary inquiry and review, and it is on the agenda going forward. As is all the other recommendations that were put forward too.”
Parliament’s integrity and oversight committee in late 2025 recommended giving IBAC more scope to conduct public hearings, and in its submission to the committee, IBAC recommended the exceptional circumstances requirement be removed. It also said the agency should be given powers to conduct more examinations in public, including for educational and preventative purposes.
The state opposition is expected to put forward an amendment to lower the threshold and make IBAC hearings public more often.
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The opposition and the Greens have both threatened to withdraw support for the bill, after it was revealed on Monday night the reforms will prevent IBAC from using its expanded powers reexamine to matters it has already investigated, previously decided not to investigate, or referred to another integrity agency.
This would include allegations that former premier Jacinta Allan referred to IBAC more than two years ago regarding organised crime had infiltrated government-funded major building projects.
Shadow attorney-general James Newbury described the move as a “shameful con” and an eleventh-hour manoeuvre before parliament is prorogued ahead of November’s state election on Monday.
“Ben Carroll and Labor are shamefully trying to keep covered up the worst corruption scandal in our state’s history,” he said.
Special Minister of State Ingrid Stitt defended Labor’s legislation and said the matter could be investigated with IBAC’s broader powers if it was another referral was made.
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“There will be a range of circumstances where IBAC can investigate matters, including if they receive a new complaint or referral, including if they receive new information about something they’ve already investigated,” Stitt said on Tuesday morning.
The government had worked closely with IBAC in creating the legislation, Stitt said, but would not confirm if the agency recommended restricting the legislation to limit its powers to retrospectively investigate matters.
The government is also preparing to introduce legislation to appoint a special prosecutor to work alongside the Kourakis Royal Commission into corruption on Big Build worksites, and give the commission the ability to compel witnesses to provide information outside of hearings.
The special prosecutor will be able to charge people the commission finds to have acted unlawfully, and will have the power to provide evidence from the commission to Victoria Police, IBAC and other state and national bodies.
Under the current laws, royal commissions can only require someone to provide documents or evidence at hearings.
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Angus Delaney is a state political reporter at The Age. Email him at [email protected] or contact him securely on Signal at angusdelaney.31Connect via email.AdvertisementAdvertisement