‘Culture of fear’: Former Victorian premier Dan Andrews slammed in bombshell new report
An outgoing Victorian Ombudsman has blasted former premier Dan Andrews and his government in a scathing last report.
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Dan Andrews and his government have been slammed in a bombshell new report.
Outgoing Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass took aim at the former Premier of Victoria in a scathing final report, accusing the Andrews government of ruling with a ‘culture of fear’.
She also claimed that her work was obstructed by what she believed was a perception of conflict with the government but added that she refused to be bullied into submission.
In her decade on the job, Ms Glass said she had investigated five referrals from parliament involving the government, with just three others having ever been made in the 50 years history of the Victorian Ombudsman’s office.
It began with an investigation of the notorious Red Shirts election rorts scandal the government attempted to shut down, forcing a Supreme Court legal battle.
From this, Ms Glass emerged victorious with defined guidelines over what she could and could not investigate in her role.
The government then appealed the decision to the High Court to no avail, which paved the way for continued political referrals.
Ms Glass explained that she was frustrated by her office being used this way, but said they had actually exposed some areas of legitimate public concern.
“I have done what I can, both to expose the subtle but dangerous impact of creeping politicisation, and to propose what I believe to be workable solutions,” she said.
“It is now up to others to hold the government to account.”
In a bombshell report published back in December, Ms Glass said that this politicisation was a result of the centralisation of power around Daniel Andrews’ office.
In the document, she warned that Victorian public servants were being routinely undermined by a “culture of fear” that had corrupted the sector, while also raising concerns about secrecy surrounding major projects and government initiatives.
She pointed out the controversial $125bn Suburban Rail Loop that she believed lacked “rigorous public sector scrutiny”.
“Some months before its release, Premier Andrews had resigned. I hoped that the new Premier, Jacinta Allan, or at least some in her Cabinet and their advisers, would actually read the report, which many commentators have described as balanced, where they would find a great deal to see and be disturbed by,” Ms Glass said in her final report.
“Actual or perceived politicisation of the public service was an issue that had troubled me for some time,” she said in her final report.
“Judging by the number of reports around Australia touching on this theme, it was clearly troubling many people, including current and former public servants, politicians and academics.”
She revealed that she had been troubled by former public service boss Andrew Tongue’s immediate termination the day after Daniel Andrews took office in 2014.
Ms Glass said she believes this instigated a legacy of fear that continued throughout the Andrews administration.
She called for major reform for the Ombudsman’s office — including the ability to demand the production of Cabinet-in-confidence documents — and said wider reform was also urgently needed in the justice sector.
“But this requires a government not driven by headlines that all too often have triggered a knee-jerk tightening of bail, parole and sentencing laws,” she said.
“History is full of examples of enlightened governments taking brave steps and leading public opinion. Without them, we would still have public hangings, Dickensian prisons and sweatshops, not to mention institutionalised discrimination against women and minorities. Victoria was once a leader in justice reform. Perhaps one day we will be one again.
“Although I have never been politically affiliated, I am unashamedly an advocate for social justice.
“I thought this would be a government more interested in justice reform, and supportive of my work.
“How wrong I was.”
Current Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said that over the past 10 years, she had met with Ms Glass about investigations that intersected with her responsibilities “on at least two occasions that I can recall”.
Ms Allan has vowed to meet with new Ombudsman Marlo Baragwanath throughout her term.
This starkly contrasts with Mr Andrews, who allegedly only met with Ms Glass while he was opposition leader but not as Premier.
“It would be a formality and not something that would be a matter of course,” Premier Allan said.
“This is an independent office and I want to respect the independence of that office and the work that Marlo will undertake.”
Addressing Ms Glass’s final report, the current Premier said on Monday that her government has “already responded to each and every one of those investigations that she refers to”.
She also thanked Ms Glass for her service over the past decade.
“It’s a big and challenging role,” she said.
“It’s an important role and I thank her for her work.”
Ms Glass will finish up in her role on Friday.
Her successor, Ms Baragwanath, is a former government solicitor who was later made chief executive of the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission.
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