Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): My question is to the Premier. Given the depth of corruption in Victoria had to be revealed by a Queensland anti-corruption inquiry, why won’t the Premier call a royal commission?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:12): The simple answer is that there has been a royal commission in this country into this matter and it failed. We know that the only reason why the Victorian Liberal Party want to have a royal commission is to claw back the wages of workers. That is their true motivation.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Members will be removed from the chamber without warning.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is clearly debating the question, and that is just a simple, outrageous lie.

The SPEAKER: Manager of Opposition Business, I remind you about unparliamentary language. The Premier already directed her reply at the start of her answer. The Premier has concluded her answer.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): Victorian government officials have confirmed to the Fair Work Commission that CFMEU corruption on Big Build sites has cost Victorian taxpayers $15 billion.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs withdrew from chamber.

Jess WILSON: I will start again. Victorian government officials have confirmed to the Fair Work Commission that CFMEU corruption on Big Build sites has cost Victorian taxpayers $15 billion. However, the Premier has dismissed this estimate. If it is not $15 billion, Premier, how much taxpayer money has gone into the pockets of criminals?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:14): Those claims do not stack up. They have already been dismissed by the independent administrator, and the Leader of the Opposition has revealed the true motivation in her question.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was refuting the question, I believe.

Jacinta ALLAN: Again, those claims do not stack up. That is the view of the federally appointed administrator, who has dismissed those claims and has said very clearly that they are not well founded or properly tested, and I support the work of the federal administrator.

James Newbury: On a point of order on relevance, Speaker, the question asked how much, and the Premier has not dealt with how much.

The SPEAKER: The Premier refuted the question at the commencement of her answer. The Premier has concluded her answer.