00:01The Victorian Premier doesn't have time to waste with a state election just four months
00:08away.
00:08Today he announced laws to penalise those that cause harm to frontline retail and hospitality
00:15workers, things like assault, stalking and harassment.
00:20There had already been an announcement for tougher punishments by the former Premier
00:24Jacinta Allen, but today's announcement adds some detail, including banning people
00:29for a year fan to have committed such an offence and two year jail terms for those that breach
00:35such bans.
00:36While crime is an election issue, a bigger concern for the government is allegations of widespread
00:43corruption in the construction sector, an issue that some have estimated has cost billions
00:50of dollars.
00:51Ben Carroll has confirmed a Royal Commission into the issue.
00:55The terms of reference are now something being worked on through as a matter of priority.
01:00It's a key policy difference between the new Premier and his predecessor Jacinta Allen who
01:05refused such an action.
01:07I want exhaustive terms of reference.
01:10No stone or left unturned.
01:20The Victorian opposition has long called for a Royal Commission into the construction sector
01:27and is using every effort to link Ben Carroll with past government decisions given he was
01:33the second in command.
01:35If Ben Carroll is serious about a real Royal Commission into the largest corruption of this
01:39state's history, of course it should be set up before the election.
01:42It should be underway before the election.
01:45But I suspect that we're going to have a sham Royal Commission.
01:48One former IBAC Commissioner says any Royal Commission would call former Labor Premiers.
01:55A Royal Commission with the powers that it has to compel people to answer questions on oath,
02:02produce documents, produce text messages, emails, it will get to the bottom of the whole process.
02:08As Ben Carroll tries to differentiate himself from his predecessor Jacinta Allen, another thing
02:14to watch is how he's going to distribute portfolios, something we expect to hear more about in
02:19the days ahead.
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