Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. The following have called for a royal commission into corruption on Big Build sites: multiple Labor cabinet ministers, multiple –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Geelong! Members will be removed without warning. The Leader of the Opposition without assistance.

Jess WILSON: I will start again. My question is to the Premier. The following have called for a royal commission into corruption on Big Build sites: multiple Labor cabinet ministers, multiple Labor MPs, the Liberal Party, the National Party, the Greens and every other crossbench MP. Isn’t it the case that the Premier will not call a royal commission because the Premier wants to cover up $15 billion of corruption on her watch?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:14): Again I reject the Leader of the Liberal Party’s claims in her question. I was just trying to remember the number of times this week in this place I have answered this exact question, but for the benefit of the Leader of the Liberal Party I will answer it again. Firstly, that claim that she refers to has been ruled out and has been dismissed by the federal administrator.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this question went to the unprecedented motion that was passed by the Parliament last night. That is exactly what it was about.

The SPEAKER: Manager of Opposition Business, what is your point of order?

James Newbury: Relevance.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was asked a question that was based on unfounded claims that have been dismissed by the federal administrator. So I have dealt with that part of the question, and I think I have made that point a number of times this week in the house, so I will say it again for the benefit of the Leader of the Liberal Party. But again – and I think I have said this previously, so I do understand you may have heard this in this place before – we have already said that the calls for a royal commission from the Liberal and National parties are all about cutting into workers’ wages. It is all about cutting into workers’ wages and clawing back workers’ wages. We will not support that. If the Greens political party are supporting that, that is a matter for them as well.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on standing order 118, I am sure that every member that supported that call for a royal commission would feel that the Premier’s imputation is totally untrue and an imputation across every member who made the call.

The SPEAKER: The Premier did not refer to any particular member of Parliament. The Premier has concluded her answer.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): Premier, to confirm to the Parliament, are you ruling out a royal commission?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:16): I will repeat what I said on Tuesday in this place and on Wednesday in this place and what I just said less than a minute ago in this place. We do not support the calls that the Liberal leader is making for a royal commission. We do not support that. We do not support the fact that the National Party, One Nation and the Greens political party have teamed up together, because it is all about cutting into workers’ wages, and that is something we will not support.