A Big Build royal commission helped Ben Carroll become premier. Will it be his downfall?

The royal commission into Victoria’s Big Build, a commitment that propelled Ben Carroll to the premiership, may become his downfall as it begins public hearings two weeks into the state election campaign. The inquiry, formally known as the Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects, aims to examine allegations of corruption and criminal infiltration in government projects.

For Labor, the timing is unfortunate as they wish to discuss other topics rather than corruption. However, the Coalition views it as an opportunity to exploit. Carroll, eager to distance himself from his predecessors' actions, faces sustained questions during the hearings. Labor insiders are concerned that negative stories could damage his campaign.

The commission's focus includes the CFMEU's conduct on rail projects in Sunbury, where the union's former boss was ousted amid misconduct allegations linking high-ranking bikie bosses to union delegate positions. Recent polls indicate that "corruption and integrity failures" rank highest among concerns that could prevent Labor supporters from voting.

While some Labor MPs prefer to avoid this issue, others believe the party failed to respond appropriately to the misconduct allegations, which may have limited political damage.