QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (14:40): My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The Victorian Labor government has been forced to establish a royal commission into corruption and organised crime in the construction industry. The Commonwealth has committed $30 billion to the Victoria's Big Build projects.

Integrity expert Geoffrey Watson told a Senate inquiry no Commonwealth ministers or agencies had approached him to investigate his evidence that there was $15 billion worth of corruption on the Victoria's Big Build projects. Will the Prime Minister demand that every Commonwealth funded project be examined by the royal commission in Victoria, or is he prepared to let billions of dollars escape scrutiny simply because the federal Labor government might find itself under the microscope?