Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Integrity and Oversight Committee

The Independent Performance Audits of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Victorian Inspectorate

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (10:34): I rise to speak on The Independent Performance Audits of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Victorian Inspectorate committee report prepared by the Integrity and Oversight Committee in the 59th Parliament but presented in the 60th Parliament. Integrity in government is essential to being a good government. Sadly, though, the trend that we are seeing of the current government is a trend where today there is another front-page news story around another IBAC investigation. I have genuinely lost count of how many that is. Is it six; is it eight? This complete lack of integrity in Victoria under the Andrews Labor government appears to be the norm and is continually being exposed, including with this committee report, one of many that are quickly accumulating. As I just state again, there is front-page news today just demonstrating my point.

Integrity is of the utmost importance in any democratic society, and the people of Victoria hold their governments to a high standard. Integrity is certainly questioned in the minority report. The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission was established by the Victorian Liberal Party. We are the party that values integrity and transparency. Sadly, the same cannot be said for those opposite, as mounting evidence continues to show.

As Victorian Liberals we established IBAC with the purpose of ensuring accountability and ensuring that corruption within the government and public sector did not prevail. However, recent events that have occurred under the Premier, Daniel Andrews, have raised concerns highlighted by the minority report regarding the independence and integrity of the IBAC review process conducted last year. The Integrity and Oversight Committee was a majority Andrews Labor government committee with a Labor chair, and it was accused of interfering in the review process. Naturally this interference has raised serious questions about the independence of the committee’s review process and this government’s disinterest in integrity, which the Andrews Labor government seems to have no respect for. The recommendations made in the minority report suggest strengthening legislation.

The minority report may be what led former Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commissioner Robert Redlich to express his concerns over the independence of the IBAC review process – a highly unprecedented action. He wrote a letter to the Parliament of Victoria emphasising the need for an independent chair and highlighting the interference that had occurred under the Andrews Labor government. This was significant and should not have been ignored, as the Premier disgracefully attempted to do.

As the report indicated, it is disheartening to know that the Premier, despite being subjected to another IBAC investigation – I have lost count, but it is six, maybe eight, IBAC investigations into himself and his government – dismissed the significance of Robert Redlich’s recommendations. This dismissal is deeply concerning for the people of Victoria, who value honesty and integrity from their government but are receiving none of this from their Labor Premier, a Premier that ‘cannot recall’ and considers evidence of soft corruption in his government to be ‘educational’ rather than the damning indictment it is of his failure as a leader.

Whilst the minority report applied much-needed pressure for reform, it is shameful that it took so long and so much convincing in order for the Premier to action the recommendation and install an independent chair. The situation prior was simply a government having oversight of itself. An independent chair will help ensure a future process free from political interference by Labor, and it should be commended that the Liberal Party and my colleagues put so much pressure on and got that result.

Furthermore, it is essential that the composition of the committee reflects a balanced representation. A committee with an Andrews Labor government majority just raises doubts about its ability to carry out its duties. To uphold the values of integrity and oversight the committee should include members from various political parties. Whilst the committee finally is not composed of majority government numbers, it was disappointing that Labor was so reluctant to adopt Commissioner Redlich’s recommendation. They brokered a secret deal with the Greens to stop the commissioner even getting a chance to speak at the committee. If it is not clear enough from the minority report, then I think this government needs to take a good look at itself, and today we see again another IBAC.