Victoria Bill Expands Anti-Corruption Powers Into Private Sector
Proposed legislation in the Australian state of Victoria would grant its anti-corruption body new “follow-the-money” powers to investigate private contractors receiving public funds.
The government of Victoria, Australia, has introduced a bill that would significantly expand the investigative powers of its anti-corruption watchdog, the IBAC, into the private sector. If passed, the law would grant IBAC new ‘follow-the-money’ authority to probe contractors, subcontractors, and other "associated entities" that handle public funds, extending the commission's reach deep into project supply chains. The bill also broadens the definition of "corrupt conduct" to capture serious non-criminal misconduct and even actions where an intended benefit was never actually realized. For companies with state government contracts, especially in the construction and infrastructure industries, the reform creates material new compliance risks and signals a tightening enforcement environment. The bill is reportedly being fast-tracked, and affected businesses are advised to proactively strengthen third-party due diligence and review their integrity controls in anticipation of the new regime, which could apply to some existing matters.