Jeff Kennett injects some morality into Labor rorts mess, writes Matt Johnston

THE conflict between calling out a scam, and working for the party that shows almost no remorse for that scam, has become too much for Jeff Kennett, writes Matt Johnston.

WHEN Jeff Kennett agreed to chair the panel that oversees Victoria’s first medically-supervised injecting facility, some Liberals fumed.

They wanted to give the drug-injecting room a political walloping.

But Kennett stood firm and said at the time he felt strongly about the trial of a drug injecting room, because of his work at beyondblue and personal experiences with grieving families.

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He said the offer by Premier Daniel Andrews — who had been a political opponent — was “not a responsibility I can reject”.

For the former premier to hand back the keys to a role he clearly believes in shows the strength of his feelings towards Labor’s rorting.

His feelings on the injecting room haven’t changed.

Last night he told the Herald Sun: “I will continue to be an advocate for the facility I strongly believe in.”

But the conflict between calling out a scam, and working for the party that shows almost no remorse for that scam, has become too much.

For Jeff Kennett to hand back the keys to a role he clearly believes in shows the strength of his feelings towards Labor’s rorting. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

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Ombudsman Deborah Glass last week revealed a cunning scheme — an “artifice” — was used to fleece hundreds of thousands of dollars from taxpayers.

Andrews has said no one should pay any price for what the Ombudsman clearly said was “wrong”.

In fact, the Premier even suggested in parliament that every person who participated in the scheme, which rorted money and broke parliamentary rules, had acted in good faith.

His subtle warning to MPs has been that if they break ranks and provide any other version of events, they are admitting culpability.

Kennett doesn’t feel right staying in this government-appointed role while the saga drags on. He is breaking ranks.

“As a citizen I do not feel comfortable on one hand criticising the government for an abject failure of standards, yet on the other hand working for them,” he says.

Kennett had provided a good cover from Coalition attacks over the Labor government’s plan to embark on what it knows is a controversial policy.

Now it will have to find someone else.

The ramifications of Labor’s rorts-for-votes will continue to spread, sometimes in unexpected ways.

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