Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced on Tuesday that his government intends to introduce legislation to expand the definition of 'corruption' prior to the state election. The move is designed to increase the jurisdiction of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), the state’s primary anti-corruption watchdog.

According to the government, the legislative changes are intended to be finalized before the government enters the mandatory caretaker mode in November. While the specific details of the expanded definition are forthcoming, the announcement has drawn attention from legal and political observers. A former head of the anti-corruption body suggested that if these expanded powers had been in place previously, they might have allowed for the investigation of conduct involving senior government figures that currently falls outside the commission's reach.

In addition to the legislative changes, Premier Carroll indicated that he is nearing the release of the terms of reference for a separate royal commission. The government maintains that these steps are part of a broader effort to strengthen integrity and accountability within the state's public institutions. The opposition and other stakeholders have yet to provide a detailed formal response to the specific scope of the proposed changes, though the timing of the announcement—occurring shortly before an election—is expected to be a focal point of political debate in the coming weeks.