How right is Cassandra Pollock about Uber (Chronicle 21st August) . Our taxi service here in Wangaratta is first class and as someone who uses it regularly I can say that. I get very annoyed when businesses assume that everyone has a mobile phone or if they have, they do not want a lot of apps on it. I only use my mobile for phone calls or photos , I ignore everything else. I always wonder what Alexander Graham Bell would think of his creation if he could come back for one day and see what a nightmare it has turned into. So, people of Wangaratta and surrounds please support our taxi service over Uber. Philomena Trevor-Hunt, Wangaratta Royal Commission into Victoria's construction industry The first thing I did as Premier was call a Royal Commission into crime and misconduct in Victoria's construction industry. I did that because Victorians deserve the truth. They deserve to know how organised crime found its way onto our building sites, who allowed it to happen, and how we make sure it never happens again. Nothing less than a Royal Commission, with full coercive powers and public hearings, will get us there. I have appointed the Honourable Chris Kourakis AC as Royal Commissioner. He is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, served on that court for over 18 years, is a former Solicitor-General, and is a Companion of the Order of Australia. He is a jurist of unquestioned integrity, with impartiality and an unwavering fidelity to the rule of law and he has a single motivation: to ensure the law serves the community. I chose someone independent, rigorous and fearless. The terms of reference are broad and expansive. Nothing is off limits. They cover the conduct of the CFMEU, construction companies, labour hire firms, consortia and criminal actors on Victoria's major projects. And they cover the role of government; the executive, government departments and delivery agencies in overseeing the projects. Critically, the terms of reference make it a matter for the Commissioner to decide whose actions and whose knowledge are relevant to the matters under investigation. Not the government. Not me. If he wants to hear from Ministers, former Ministers, senior officials, union leaders or company executives, he has the power to call them. The Commission will be funded with a budget of up to $50 million and I have asked it to report within 12 months. The Commission's role is to uncover misconduct and to make recommendations that prevent it from happening in the future. It will follow the money, examine the systems that were exploited, and tell us plainly what went wrong and what must change. My government will act on what it finds. A Royal Commission does not have the power to charge or prosecute anyone. It can compel evidence and make findings, but it cannot put people before a court. That is why we are establishing an Office of the Special Prosecutor: a dedicated, embedded resource working alongside the Commission, so that when wrongdoing is uncovered, it is investigated and it is pursued, and people face consequences. I’m also announcing that we’re fast-tracking changes to expand IBAC’s jurisdiction. Legislation is now being drafted to give IBAC follow the money powers and expand the definition of corrupt conduct. Ben Carroll, Premier of Victoria
