Live: Victoria's Big Build royal commission gets underway

Public hearings for Victoria's royal commission examining allegations of corruption on government building sites have begun in Melbourne.

It comes as the state's election campaign enters the final three-week stretch.

Follow our live coverage below.

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Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:12amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:12am

The political implications of the royal commission

Establishing the royal commission was Ben Carroll's first act as premier, a move that distanced him from predecessor Jacinta Allan.

But any hope the public would reward Carroll and Labor for calling the inquiry quickly evaporated.

The government didn't receive a poll bounce from changing leaders — it thus seems unlikely voters will reward Labor over the next fortnight if hearings expose fresh corruption claims.

The ABC's state political reporter Richard Willingham breaks it down in his analysis below:

Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:52amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:52am

The royal commission explained

By Judd Boaz

The construction sites of the Victorian government's Big Build have become hotbeds for allegations of criminal wrongdoing, corruption and serious misconduct.

The Victorian government has called a royal commission into the alleged corruption, with its first hearings to begin this week.

To learn how we got here, head to our explainer below:

Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:51amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:51am

Welcome to our election blog

By Judd Boaz

Good morning!

We're going to be bringing you live coverage every day in the lead up to the Victorian state election on November 28.

And while political parties hit the campaign trail, the Big Build royal commission will begin its first block of public hearings today, exploring allegations of corruption on Victoria's public infrastructure projects.

We'll bring you coverage from those hearings, as well as all the major political stories in the leadup to the state election.