Royal commission exposes text messages tying former premier's adviser to Gap Road project amid claims of heavy redactions
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The Big Build royal commission heard that newly disclosed text messages connect an adviser to former Premier Daniel Andrews to the Gap Road level-crossing removal project, while counsel assisting condemned the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority for withholding material and heavily redacting documents.
The Big Build royal commission heard evidence on Thursday that text messages linking an adviser to former Premier Daniel Andrews to the Gap Road level-crossing removal project have been identified, adding to a mounting picture of political interference and secrecy around the project. Counsel assisting Chris Young, KC, said the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) disclosed the existence of the messages on Tuesday but has not yet provided them, pending further steps to secure evidence from the individuals named.
"Those messages included reference to the PPO, which we understand to be a reference to the premier’s private office, and some named individuals," Young said.
The two individuals identified are Matthew Toner, described as an adviser to the premier at the time, and Matthew Phelan, chief of staff to Corey Hannett, director general of VIDA. Young sharply criticised VIDA for extensive redactions in documents supplied to the commission, citing a note by VIDA executive Evan Tattersall that was partially blacked out and apparently stripped of context.
"The first two bullet points that Mr Tattersall has taken notes of seem to be irrelevant. Look at the next one: ‘CFMEU driving some companies re: Aboriginal employment out of business because weren’t used’. That was redacted from what was originally provided to the commission. Unexplained," Young said.
He added that the redactions appear to breach the commission’s document-production protocol, which normally requires unredacted material with any claims for non-production clearly highlighted, reinforcing concerns that key evidence is being obscured rather than fully disclosed.
Shadow attorney-general James Newbury, speaking outside Parliament House, said the allegations raised in the first three days of hearings, including claims that businesses were threatened with black-bans unless they complied with the CFMEU, strike at the core of corruption. He referenced testimony from former union organiser Paul Tzimas that a former union leader claimed a direct line to Jacinta Allan’s office, suggesting the office facilitated CFMEU involvement on government sites and contributed to inflated costs.
"Jacinta Allan’s office was the enforcer to see the CFMEU [got work] on these government work sites, and Jacinta Allan’s office was receiving briefs stating that having the CFMEU on these sites – and the decisions that they enforced – would see hundreds of millions of dollars in inflated costs," Newbury said.
The commission continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the work stoppage and contractor changes on the Gap Road project in June 2022, with the unfolding evidence pointing to a deeply troubling culture of backroom influence and suppression of information.