WEBVTT - Gangsters, corruption and cover-ups: What Victoria's building royal commission could expose

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<v Speaker 1>My first action as Premier, we will be to call

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<v Speaker 1>a Royal Commission into the construction sector.

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<v Speaker 2>Vitroia's new Premier, Ben Carroll has announced a Royal Commission

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<v Speaker 2>into the state's building industry.

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<v Speaker 1>We will also immediately establish a special prosecutor that we'll

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<v Speaker 1>work in parallel with the Royal Commission.

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<v Speaker 2>If allows years of reporting exposing our less corruption, organized

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<v Speaker 2>crime links and misconduct within the sector, and years of

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<v Speaker 2>resistance from the government and former Premier to Cintereallo, the

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<v Speaker 2>Commission now has the potential to examine what happened and

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<v Speaker 2>he knew about it, forcing powerful figures and politics, business

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<v Speaker 2>unions and the underworld do answer questions under oath and

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<v Speaker 2>in public. I'm Daniel James, and you're listening to seven

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<v Speaker 2>a year Today investigative reporter for the Age, Nick McKenzie

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<v Speaker 2>on what the Rule Commission must uncover and the big

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<v Speaker 2>names who could be called to testify. It's Friday, July

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<v Speaker 2>thirty one. Nick, good to see you again. Over many

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<v Speaker 2>years of painstaking investigative journalism, you've exposed big bill corruption

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<v Speaker 2>throughout it all, you've maintained the pressure for a Royal Commission,

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<v Speaker 2>which just in that Alan famously or infamously resisted, how

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<v Speaker 2>are you feeling this week? Do you feel like you're

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<v Speaker 2>somehow responsible for Allan's demise? Given it's widely accepted that

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<v Speaker 2>this issue was a big part of what resulted in

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<v Speaker 2>her losing the leadership, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Think it's unquestionable that journalism played a massive part in

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<v Speaker 3>exposing not just to the public, so the body of

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<v Speaker 3>politic what was going on on these government projects and

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<v Speaker 3>labor government projects. And there was so much wrongdoing and

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<v Speaker 3>so much reporting of her wrongdoing. It was inescapable and

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<v Speaker 3>the premier and the former premier now to see to

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<v Speaker 3>Allen quite famously or infamously said you'd tough it out

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<v Speaker 3>that now.

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<v Speaker 4>Will you call a royal commission?

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<v Speaker 2>Will you hunt down the money that tax players.

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<v Speaker 4>May have lost to organize Royan?

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<v Speaker 1>As I said earlier on that claim, the administrator says

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<v Speaker 1>that claim is not well tested, or.

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<v Speaker 3>The administrator the story after story after story, it just

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<v Speaker 3>kept building up, and it got to the point where

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<v Speaker 3>her failure to act appropriately in the early days meant

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<v Speaker 3>it really was inevitable that there had to be a

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<v Speaker 3>royal commission. I mean, the time had passed for about

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<v Speaker 3>the other responsive so entrenched was her refusal to call

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<v Speaker 3>a proper inquiry, and so significant was the amount of

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<v Speaker 3>evidence suggesting that the wrongdoing is systemic and entrenched.

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<v Speaker 2>Perhaps the very first utterance from the new Victorian Premier,

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<v Speaker 2>Ben Carroll was the announcement of overall commission into the

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<v Speaker 2>Big Bill Corruption. What do we know so far about

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<v Speaker 2>any of the details around.

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<v Speaker 3>That, Well, nothing really except that the new Premier has

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<v Speaker 3>promised this role. Commission will look under every rock that

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<v Speaker 3>needs to be looked under. So look at the politicians,

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<v Speaker 3>look at the union officials, look at the gangsters, look

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<v Speaker 3>at the companies.

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<v Speaker 4>There's lots of players here.

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<v Speaker 3>Look at the regulatory and policing agencies which previously failed

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<v Speaker 3>to do a good job or the job required. But

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<v Speaker 3>I mean that's just rhetoric at the moment. We want

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<v Speaker 3>to see what the terms of reference are when they're released.

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<v Speaker 3>We need to see who the Royal Commissioner or commissioners

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<v Speaker 3>are or is. They need to be independent and needs

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<v Speaker 3>to be appropriately empowered so to have the power of

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<v Speaker 3>tap bones, have the power to call coersive hearings where

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<v Speaker 3>gangland figures like mickad I have to come and answer questions.

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<v Speaker 4>They need to be appropriately resourced.

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<v Speaker 3>The Commission needs to have teams, investigators, analysts, etc.

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<v Speaker 4>Ing the digging.

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<v Speaker 3>There's no point having a Royal Commission because it doesn't

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<v Speaker 3>have the capacity to properly investigate. So the devil will

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<v Speaker 3>be in the detail, excusing cliche and we yet to

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<v Speaker 3>find out what that detail looks like.

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<v Speaker 2>There's so much to this story which you've untangled over

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<v Speaker 2>many years. What are the main issues you think need

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<v Speaker 2>to be covered and questions that need to be answered

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<v Speaker 2>by Overyal Commission?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, boiler right down.

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<v Speaker 3>Basically what happened was the Labor government and the Premier

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<v Speaker 3>Jacinthra Allen bestowed just immense power on a very lawless

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<v Speaker 3>entity in the form of the Victorian branch that the

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<v Speaker 3>see for me, the Construction Union at the very time

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<v Speaker 3>it was in bed with the gang land, with bike clubs,

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<v Speaker 3>with figures like Mikado, and that power unable to see

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<v Speaker 3>for me you and its gang land mates to become

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<v Speaker 3>gatekeepers on the big bill, to take over parts of

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<v Speaker 3>mega projects, to put their mates on projects. We had

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<v Speaker 3>Biki gang members running a markets union officials. We had

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<v Speaker 3>subcontracting firms owned by gangland figures getting the sweet deals

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<v Speaker 3>on these mega projects. We had labor high companies in

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<v Speaker 3>bed because they see for me you sometimes in bed

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<v Speaker 3>with gangland figures, win contracts, turning over literally billions of dollars.

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<v Speaker 4>And this was only possible because the labor.

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<v Speaker 3>Government gave the see for me the big green light

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<v Speaker 3>to do what it please on these tax co funded projects.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's what happened.

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<v Speaker 3>Who's responsible, well, the politician had to give back green

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<v Speaker 3>light to thinker Allen either gave the greend light wittingly

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<v Speaker 3>recklessly by not stopping it when there was a kill.

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<v Speaker 4>Daniel Andrews had.

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<v Speaker 3>Prying there before her must have known something about this,

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<v Speaker 3>and if he didn't, his negligent. The public servants enter

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<v Speaker 3>into the politicians, what did they know? We know they

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<v Speaker 3>tried to raise the alarm and were we suspect ignored?

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<v Speaker 3>But did they try hard enough? With the acting with

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<v Speaker 3>fear without fail. They're doing their job as public servants.

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<v Speaker 3>And then all the way down the companies that profited

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<v Speaker 3>the union officials have filled their pockets or got their

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<v Speaker 3>mates sweet jobs. Coruptly, the law enforcement agencies that are

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<v Speaker 3>now acting and doing a good job that clevisseeed, we're

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<v Speaker 3>not why did they turn their blind eye said, there's

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<v Speaker 3>a lot to unravel here and the All Commissions too

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<v Speaker 3>workplace to do it.

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<v Speaker 2>Some oral commissions are more successful than others, often due

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<v Speaker 2>to the powers and escape given to them, and give

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<v Speaker 2>him to the commissioner. Do you have faith that Ben

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<v Speaker 2>Carroll will do what's needed so that this for All

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<v Speaker 2>Commission truly gets to the bottom or what's been going

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<v Speaker 2>on in the building sector? Or is there a risk

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<v Speaker 2>that the new premiere and the government are using this

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<v Speaker 2>for Royal Commission as a way of controlling the narrative

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<v Speaker 2>around this scandal.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't want to sound through cynical, but I don't

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<v Speaker 3>think any Australian would have faith at any politician.

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<v Speaker 4>We'll judge them on their actions at the moment.

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<v Speaker 3>We yet to see what Ben Carol puts into place,

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<v Speaker 3>and he'll be judged on his actions. The temptation will

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<v Speaker 3>be a political cover up in the guise of a commission,

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<v Speaker 3>but I think if he does that, the public and

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<v Speaker 3>the media anyone watching them will be able to see

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<v Speaker 3>what's going on.

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<v Speaker 4>So I think the good news is the elections four

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<v Speaker 4>months away.

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<v Speaker 3>If he tries to do a shifting, it's going to

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<v Speaker 3>be readily apparent. And voters are going to remember it.

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<v Speaker 3>So the pressure is on for this Commission of Inquiry,

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<v Speaker 3>this Royal Commission, to have all the.

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<v Speaker 4>Powers in these to be run by someone who's not in.

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<v Speaker 3>Our labor party stood or a union buster on the right,

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<v Speaker 3>the sort of cursing we might take a coalition put

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<v Speaker 3>in place if it wins power. We need an aid

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<v Speaker 3>political independent corruption who's going to go all the way.

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<v Speaker 4>And if we don't get that, the media will keep during.

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<v Speaker 3>What we've been doing pretty successfully today, it's exposing this

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<v Speaker 3>bess relentlessly, thoroughly, exhaustively until the right outcome is reached.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you created a little shortlist for yourself, Nick, as

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<v Speaker 2>to who you would like to see as the commissioner.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's dangerous for journalists to start doing those

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<v Speaker 3>sorts of things. It's the job of the government to

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<v Speaker 3>do that. It's our job to hold them to account.

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<v Speaker 3>I know what sort of commission I'd like, Tony Fitzgerald

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<v Speaker 3>of the famous Fitzgerald and Quarry in the eighties and

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<v Speaker 3>Queensland which brought the BLK Peterson government and the corupt

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<v Speaker 3>police force to heal. I think we need a corruption

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<v Speaker 3>buster like Tony Fitzgerald, So lots sort of a bloke,

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<v Speaker 3>was he He was a political, he was feelings, he

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<v Speaker 3>was determined, he wasn't scared and he wasn't doing anyone

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<v Speaker 3>any failures, be they senior police or the ministers of

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<v Speaker 3>the day. So we need the same sort of person

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<v Speaker 3>to be running the showdown in Victoria or else we'll

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<v Speaker 3>get a perpetuation of the cover up we've seen in

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<v Speaker 3>place for two years.

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<v Speaker 2>Coming up, the big name politicians and gangsters who could

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<v Speaker 2>be called to testify. Let's talk about who can be

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<v Speaker 2>brought forward before the Royal Commission. Would you like to

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<v Speaker 2>see Jenta Allenon testify and what questions would you like

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<v Speaker 2>to see her answer?

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think it's the question of what I like

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<v Speaker 3>to see her. I think it's the detroiting public must

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<v Speaker 3>see her question. Because she was the Transport Infrastructure Minister

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<v Speaker 3>when all this rot on her projects happened.

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<v Speaker 4>She was happy to cut the records and take the

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<v Speaker 4>political points to doing so.

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<v Speaker 3>But beneath the surface, this corruption was broiling them, becoming

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<v Speaker 3>under control, and ultimately she's got.

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<v Speaker 4>To take the stand.

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<v Speaker 3>The Premier prior to her, Daniel Landryge is also responsible

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<v Speaker 3>ifs not directly just by the words miss the system

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<v Speaker 3>of accountability and responsibility. If the Premier de Cindra Land

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<v Speaker 3>now the former premiere, if she did not know as

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<v Speaker 3>minister what was going on on her projects, then she's

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<v Speaker 3>failed in the ministerial duties. If she knew I didn't act,

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<v Speaker 3>then she's also failed. But she's going to be put

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<v Speaker 3>to the test. Those questions need to be put to her.

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<v Speaker 3>The evidence about what she knew I didn't it needs

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<v Speaker 3>to be uncovered and presented. But also taking a stand

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<v Speaker 3>needs to be people like John Seedga in charge of

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<v Speaker 3>the union when at ran a mark he put in

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<v Speaker 3>place of culture that's for me, you where the law

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<v Speaker 3>was irrelevant and unionists could act with impunity. We need

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<v Speaker 3>other union officials who are running out of control also grilled, interrogated.

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<v Speaker 4>We need the gang Land figures.

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<v Speaker 3>We need me Ghatto on the stand and his dangload

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<v Speaker 3>mates about how they were profiting from the Big Build

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<v Speaker 3>and other major construction projects. We need Bicky Bosses investigator.

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<v Speaker 3>We had the cops up there. You know, the police

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<v Speaker 3>in Victoria had done a very good job over the

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<v Speaker 3>last thirty months, but they're utterly missing in action.

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<v Speaker 4>Before.

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<v Speaker 3>So while weren't the police doing that job while was

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<v Speaker 3>in work state? How health and safety regulations on workplaces?

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<v Speaker 3>While was it allowing gang land figures biking to be

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<v Speaker 3>in charge of health and safety on these major government sites.

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<v Speaker 3>Really an extraordinary situation that was allowed to take hold.

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<v Speaker 3>So worksape needs to habits people up on them on

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<v Speaker 3>the stand. There's many peoples. I forget those company bosses

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<v Speaker 3>that have profited and massively flow the big build These

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<v Speaker 3>are companies that sometimes employed well known members of outline

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<v Speaker 3>motorcycle games.

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<v Speaker 4>Why'd they do that?

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<v Speaker 3>Because they knew they keep digging it on side, the

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<v Speaker 3>money would keep flying to their coffers.

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<v Speaker 4>They have to be held to account as well.

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<v Speaker 2>Even covered so much. But do you think that there's

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<v Speaker 2>more to this story? Could there be more bombshells to

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<v Speaker 2>come out through a raw commission.

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<v Speaker 3>I've got no doubt the media at it first gets

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<v Speaker 3>twenty percent of the picture. You know, this corruption scandal

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<v Speaker 3>lies in the heads of gangland figures who profited.

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<v Speaker 4>It lies in the filing cabinets in government.

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<v Speaker 3>It lies in the secret briefing notes, cabinet briefing notes

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<v Speaker 3>that were sent to just interall them.

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<v Speaker 4>And she was Premier and Francesport Minister. It lies in

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<v Speaker 4>bank accounts that we can ever access.

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<v Speaker 3>It lies on phone taps, the conversations of crooks that

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<v Speaker 3>have no doubt they been captured in other investigations, but

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<v Speaker 3>which will relate to this sort of activity.

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<v Speaker 4>There's a lot there that will yet to find out

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<v Speaker 4>about it.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think every Victoria, in every Australian which has

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<v Speaker 3>been paying for these projects feeding this corruption, preserves to

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<v Speaker 3>know what's really going on.

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<v Speaker 2>And what can a good raw commission to do that

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<v Speaker 2>the fourth estate and journalists can't well.

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<v Speaker 3>I think we've seen people like extrain examples, both just

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<v Speaker 3>Into other Than and Mick Gatto have made an art

0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:32.280
<v Speaker 3>form of avoiding questions and coming up with slippery answers.

0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:34.440
<v Speaker 4>And a raw commission puts someone in the box.

0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:36.760
<v Speaker 3>They are under oath, they have to answer questions, they

0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:38.920
<v Speaker 3>can't confuse, and they can be presented with the evidence.

0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:42.240
<v Speaker 3>The law commission horrify, digs up. And what can a

0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:44.800
<v Speaker 3>commission do given those powers? It can find the truth.

0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:47.840
<v Speaker 3>It can hold the allegedly cups who account. It can

0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.360
<v Speaker 3>clear people as well. If Justinto Allen has a good

0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.599
<v Speaker 3>story to telling, it absolves that are wrongdoing, and I

0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:54.120
<v Speaker 3>doubt it will be the case, but if it does,

0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:56.480
<v Speaker 3>then so be it. The evidence will come out, it'll

0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:58.880
<v Speaker 3>be tested, and we'll find out really who it was

0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:01.400
<v Speaker 3>that has profited him properly and who it was that

0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.360
<v Speaker 3>has not done their job as a politician to protect

0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:06.560
<v Speaker 3>the public interest, to protect taxpayer fine.

0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.840
<v Speaker 2>And finally, Nick Jeffrey Watson, who was tasked with reporting

0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:13.040
<v Speaker 2>on c ifm AU operations under John Sector, says they

0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:15.840
<v Speaker 2>should build a statue of you because of the reporting

0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:18.360
<v Speaker 2>you've done on this. Well, what do you reckon about that?

0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:22.240
<v Speaker 2>Do we need a big bronze Nick mackenzie statue? Does

0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:24.240
<v Speaker 2>that appeal to you? Would you melt down some of

0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:26.600
<v Speaker 2>your walkleys and use that to build it so it'll

0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.000
<v Speaker 2>be as say, as large as the Statue of Liberty.

0:12:29.480 --> 0:12:31.400
<v Speaker 3>And this is the last thing Victoria needs is another

0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:34.680
<v Speaker 3>statue of some one of the halfway.

0:12:35.280 --> 0:12:38.360
<v Speaker 4>No, thank you. Let's spend that money. Let's get the

0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:39.199
<v Speaker 4>best detectives in.

0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:42.520
<v Speaker 3>Their state digging up stuff for our Let's make sure

0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:43.679
<v Speaker 3>this law commission works.

0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:45.880
<v Speaker 4>The journalism played a role, and I'm proud of the

0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:46.559
<v Speaker 4>role I played.

0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:50.200
<v Speaker 3>But I only play my role because brave people especially

0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:52.959
<v Speaker 3>brave unionists, call them out people in the sea. For me,

0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:55.319
<v Speaker 3>you who never took a backward step. He said, you

0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:57.160
<v Speaker 3>know what, I don't want my union getting taken over

0:12:57.200 --> 0:12:57.760
<v Speaker 3>by Mick Atter.

0:12:58.120 --> 0:12:59.359
<v Speaker 4>I don't want my union.

0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:02.680
<v Speaker 3>Getting taken over by a gaddo sicker fans like John Secar, who,

0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:05.600
<v Speaker 3>if he wasn't busy standing under a project, is busy

0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:07.800
<v Speaker 3>standing under his ex wife. What set of a leader

0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:11.360
<v Speaker 3>is that these brave unionists stood up for what was right.

0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.000
<v Speaker 3>A nation should be outdated because this is all about

0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:17.520
<v Speaker 3>finding for what's really important, which is honest unionism, something

0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.600
<v Speaker 3>I think to Toria needs, but it's got to be honest.

0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:23.280
<v Speaker 2>Well, Nick, thank you so much for your work and

0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:24.960
<v Speaker 2>all this, and thank you so much for your time.

0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:27.480
<v Speaker 4>Thanks for the chance to talk.

0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:41.360
<v Speaker 2>Also in the news, Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling has

0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:44.439
<v Speaker 2>been charged with two counts of assault. The claims relate

0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:47.240
<v Speaker 2>to an incident at a Darwin community event earlier this

0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:51.800
<v Speaker 2>month involving Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly, whose role is

0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:55.120
<v Speaker 2>the equivalent to a state governor. Gosling, who is facing

0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:58.760
<v Speaker 2>two charges of assault. Since he's cooperating with police, he

0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:03.480
<v Speaker 2>has previously rejected the allegations as ridiculous, and Optics is

0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:06.199
<v Speaker 2>being sued in the federal court over last year's fourteen

0:14:06.240 --> 0:14:09.839
<v Speaker 2>hour network outage, which saw callers unable to reach triple zero.

0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.720
<v Speaker 2>The communications wash dog AKMA is heading up the case,

0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:18.240
<v Speaker 2>claiming Optus breached its legal obligations around emergency calls more

0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:21.400
<v Speaker 2>than one thousand times. It's facing a penalty of up

0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:24.600
<v Speaker 2>to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per breach to

0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:28.680
<v Speaker 2>deaths will link to the outage. I'm Daniel James. You've

0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:39.280
<v Speaker 2>been listening to seven AM. We'll be back tomorrow.