Royal commission hints at original sin of Big Build

September 23, 2026 — 5:08pm

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The Kourakis royal commission has started at the top. At its first public hearing, convened just one month after receiving its letters patent, it published in full cabinet-in-confidence documents that show Jacinta Allan knew more than three years ago there was big trouble on the Big Build.

This was a ballsy opening from an inquiry intent on sending a message that it is not mucking about. Government ministers, senior bureaucrats, contractors, union bosses and the crooks who grew fat off publicly funded major projects have been put on notice that the royal commission is determined to clean up Victoria’s answer to the Augean stables.

Just as importantly, Commissioner Chris Kourakis has signalled his willingness to stand back and interrogate some bigger, long-overdue questions about how we got here.

In laying down ethical markers early in his inquiry, Kourakis reminded us of some basic principles of how major projects paid for with public money should be commissioned, designed, managed and safeguarded.

The first of these is that governments, before committing billions of taxpayer dollars to build anything, must with due diligence and care choose the right projects for the right reasons.

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“Governments must select and design infrastructure projects around the socioeconomic needs of the Victorian public, and not party political interests,” the commissioner said.

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© The Age