The Big Build program is alleged to have been infiltrated by organised crime through the CFMEU. Investigations indicate that project costs were inflated by $15 billion due to alleged criminal activity. Robert Redlich and Deborah Glass have called for an urgent royal commission into the program, with Redlich stating a royal commission is needed to investigate industry culture. The Australian Federal Police is probing corruption, money laundering, and organisational misconduct related to the program. Jacinta Allan attributes cost increases to inflation, not corruption. She has resisted calls for a royal commission, saying it would cost too much money and take too long to make any difference. Pressure is mounting for a royal commission into the construction industry and criminal links. A person wearing a cardboard box stole $40,000 in construction equipment in August 2025 from a Bonshaw building site, with police linking the incident to another break-in on the same morning. Thai authorities allege Simon Carman picked up Tunchanok Donhomla from Pattaya’s Beach Road red-light district in the early hours of Thursday morning, and police found blood on the floor of the hotel room where Donhomla was last seen. Corruption erodes trust in government institutions and is difficult to define and measure.