September 8, 2026 — 11:45amLowering the high threshold to hold corruption hearings in public is on the agenda for future changes to Victoria’s peak anti-corruption body, as Labor pushes ahead with its integrity reforms despite criticism they don’t go far enough.The state government on Tuesday will introduce reforms to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) to give the agency 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.Premier Ben Carroll and Special Minister of State Ingrid Stitt at parliament on Tuesday morning.Eddie JimPremier Ben Carroll said he would 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 the inquiry is in the public interest, and it wouldn’t 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.“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 [are] all the other recommendations that were put forward too.”In testimony provided to a parliamentary integrity and oversight committee last year, IBAC said the exceptional circumstances requirement for public hearings should be removed. It wanted powers to conduct more hearings in public, including for educational and preventative purposes.The state opposition on Tuesday circulated an amendment to lower the threshold and make IBAC hearings public. The Greens are expected to put forward a similar amendment.The opposition and the Greens have both threatened to withdraw support for the bill, after it was revealed on Monday night the reforms would prevent IBAC from using its expanded powers to re-examine matters it has already investigated, or had previously decided not to investigate or referred to another integrity agency.This would include allegations that then-premier Jacinta Allan referred to IBAC more than two years ago, that organised crime had infiltrated government-funded major building projects.Shadow attorney-general James Newbury on Monday night described the move as a “shameful con” and an eleventh-hour manoeuvre before parliament is prorogued ahead of November’s state election.“Ben Carroll and Labor are shamefully trying to keep covered up the worst corruption scandal in our state’s history,” he said.Greens leader Ellen Sandell said on Tuesday morning the party was seeking to amend the bill and give IBAC greater powers to investigate retrospectively.“I think Labor has been dragged kicking and screaming to bring these anti-corruption watchdog reforms... so in typical Labor fashion, they’ve included a bunch of loopholes and carve-outs to protect Labor and protect their own ministers,” Sandell said.Former IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich and former Victorian ombudsman Deborah Glass welcomed Labor’s reforms and said it would result in greater integrity by cracking down on “grey corruption” – behaviour by public officials that favours allies but isn’t criminal.“The draft bill has an excellent definition of corrupt conduct that will empower IBAC to detect and deter grey corruption across the public sector,” they said.“Our only concern with the legislation is how the proposed transitional arrangements would relate to allegations of Big Build corruption. The draft bill should make it clear that the royal commission can refer back to IBAC a matter to investigate even if IBAC has previously held that it could not.”Special Minister of State Ingrid Stitt on Tuesday defended Labor’s legislation and said the matter could be investigated with IBAC’s broader powers if it another referral was made.“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.Former South Australian chief justice Chris Kourakis will head the royal commission into into corruption on Victorian Big Build worksites.The government had worked closely with IBAC in creating the legislation, Stitt said, but she wouldn’t 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 to give the investigation the ability to compel witnesses to provide information outside of hearings.The special prosecutor would have the powers to charge people the royal commission found had acted unlawfully, and would have the power to provide evidence from the inquiry 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.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. 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