Commissioner Chris Kourakis, the former Chief Justice of South Australia, presided over the hearing at Melbourne Magistrates' Court, outlining the inquiry’s $50 million budget and its expansive terms of reference. "I assure the people of Victoria, and warn all people who have done wrong, that the commission will leave no stone unturned in search for whatever is hidden — or whomever lurks underneath it," Mr Kourakis said.
The terms of reference cover major public infrastructure projects, including the government's Big Build initiative, and will investigate blackmail, bribery, dishonest, bullying, intimidatory, threatening and violent behaviour, as well as nepotism and improper influence. Associate to the commissioner, Peter Tantalos, read the letters patent noting that since at least 1980 there had been "persistent allegations of consistent and criminal conduct" on major projects across Australia.
The opening hearing also disclosed that Ms Allan received confidential briefings about bikie presence on building sites. The commission has held secret hearings since August and will proceed with public hearings during the November state election campaign, a decision that may intensify political scrutiny.
Premier Ben Carroll called the royal commission in July, his first act after toppling Ms Allan, and released the terms of reference in August. Commissioner Kourakis emphasised the inquiry's purpose was to recommend "legal, structural, industrial and cultural reforms" and not to be "just one more in an endless series of investigations."