Critics and integrity experts argue that the Victorian government’s resistance to a royal commission is a failure of accountability that leaves the public in the dark regarding the true extent of corruption in the Big Build. By limiting investigations to internal reviews or specific police referrals, the government is accused of avoiding a comprehensive examination of the 'rotten culture' that has allegedly allowed criminal syndicates to thrive within the state's largest infrastructure projects. Experts like Geoffrey Watson SC have dismissed the government's focus on inflation as a primary cause for cost blowouts, labelling it a distraction from the systemic rorts and bribery that have inflated taxpayer costs.
The demand for a royal commission is rooted in the belief that only an independent, high-level inquiry has the power to compel testimony and uncover the full scope of government and union collusion. The recent referral of the Premier to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission highlights the growing concern that the rot may extend into the government's own administrative processes. For many, the government’s insistence that it can police itself—or that existing agencies are sufficient—is not enough to restore trust when billions of dollars in public funds are at stake.
Ultimately, the call for a royal commission is about transparency and the protection of public money. Without a thorough, independent investigation, the public remains unable to verify whether Commonwealth and state funds have been properly safeguarded. The refusal to hold such an inquiry risks leaving the underlying issues unaddressed, potentially allowing the same patterns of intimidation and financial mismanagement to persist in future projects. For those calling for reform, the government's current stance is seen as a defensive measure that prioritizes political survival over the public interest.