TRANSCRIPT:
Today I rise to speak on The Independent Performance Audits of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Victorian Inspectorate 2022 – nailed it. As members of this place we have a duty to act with integrity and honesty in our dealings every single day. Sadly, this government continues to be shaded by corruption investigations while members of Parliament on that side of the house blindly follow the Premier. Given the risk of overshooting my speaking time today I will not outline the incredible array of IBAC reports, either published or forthcoming, into individuals involved in the Andrews government.
Of specific interest to me is the minority report on the performance of the Victorian integrity agencies, which was completed by the member for Sandringham and the member for Rowville. From the outset it is important to remember the most recent IBAC report, which made scathing comments about the conduct of people within the Andrews government but was dismissed as merely ‘educational’ by the Premier. While some are happy to turn a blind eye or simply do not have the courage to speak out against continued improper conduct of those in their own government and their advisers, I am glad the Ombudsman is not that way inclined. Rather than being ‘educational’, the Ombudsman labelled the report ‘damning’ and stated:
I think it says a lot about the Premier’s views on corruption and integrity.
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It was not an educational report, it was a damning report about misconduct of ministerial advisers and ministerial responsibility for those advisers …
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… Victoria is now a laggard rather than a leader in parliamentary integrity.
The attitude of the Premier is embarrassing for our state. You have all gone rather silent.
Referring to the minority report on the performance of the Victorian integrity agencies, we see some damning indictments of the behaviour of Labor members on the Integrity and Oversight Committee. I quote directly from the minority report:
Throughout the course of this inquiry, Opposition members have become aware of Labor Government members being directed by operatives within the Premier’s Private Office … Opposition members of this Committee believe that the work of the IOC should be removed from party politics, as the work of this Committee is undertaken on behalf of the Victorian Parliament and people.
I do not think this is something that could possibly be up for debate. Transcripts of IBAC’s public hearing on 9 May 2022 make this abundantly clear. The chair of the committee resorted to cutting the feed of a public hearing with the state’s own corruption commission to protect her government from questions about integrity. I quote from the chair:
Sorry, again, again, again – can we cut the feed, please.
Good manners. The chair felt so entitled as to continually interrupt the commissioner during his opening statements in an attempt to gag Mr Redlich and narrow the scope of his public address. Thankfully, Mr Redlich is someone of great integrity and not just ‘someone who used to do a job … written a letter that apparently says a whole bunch of stuff’, as our arrogant and dismissive Premier describes him. Mr Redlich has even felt compelled to state publicly his concerns about the aforementioned report. What is most concerning is that it appears that the chair and the majority of the IOC audit subcommittee seemed intent on casting IBAC in a negative light for what we can only assume were political reasons relating to work undertaken by IBAC. The minority report made it quite clear in saying the committee failed to achieve the expectations it set out for itself but, more importantly, it failed to fulfil its obligations to both the Parliament and the people of Victoria.
Barely a day goes by when I am not stopped by a member of the public concerned about corruption in the Andrews government. The centralisation of power, the complete disrespect for taxpayers money and for our institutions, the gaslighting of Victorians and the downplaying of clear integrity concerns are leaving constituents across my electorate embarrassed to live under this Premier. We live in a state where the Ombudsman and the IBAC Commissioner have felt compelled to publicly state their concerns about corruption in the Andrews government throughout the media and in a letter that the Premier knows exists but apparently will not read. I agree with my constituents. The conduct of this government is embarrassing, and I hope members opposite find the courage to consider these very real issues without their Labor Party sunglasses glued on. They do say sunlight is the best disinfectant and that the fish rots from the head. While government MPs continue to blindly follow the Premier and hide from their duty to call out improper conduct, in his shadow Victoria will continue to be the nation’s laggard in parliamentary integrity, and Victorians deserve better.