Jeff Kennett: Rorts fraud will continue to haunt the Labor Party
THE actions by Daniel Andrews’ government in dealing with what is now commonly referred to as the “red shirts scandal” will haunt the Labor Party to the next election, and maybe beyond, writes Jeff Kennett.
Opinion
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HOW often in life have we seen the cover-up of a questionable act end up being more costly to those involved than the act itself?
For many of us, the Watergate scandal in the United States that brought down president Richard Nixon is the standout.
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Here in Victoria, the actions by Daniel Andrews’s government in dealing with what is now commonly referred to as the “red shirts scandal” will haunt the Labor Party to the next election, and maybe beyond.
If, as we are led to believe by ministers, the use of public funds for election purposes was allowable and normal practice — though the Ombudsman has now found it to be inappropriate — why did not the government, when the issue was brought to public attention by an ALP whistleblower and pursued by this newspaper, just admit there could have been another interpretation of the rules, pay back the public money and move on? The issue would have been dealt with years ago, and would have been forgotten by the public.
But no, the government went into overdrive — first, to stop Ombudsman Deborah Glass investigating its actions. The moment they did that, you knew they had something to hide.
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Then, they pursued the Ombudsman through the courts, right up to the High Court — at great cost to the taxpayer — to prevent her from examining the ALP’s affairs.
By then, you knew that the Victorian ALP was desperately trying to hide their activities.
To make matters worse, they refused to allow their members in the Legislative Assembly to be questioned by the Ombudsman over their role in diverting public funds for their own, or colleagues’, electoral purposes.
The upshot of its botched cover-up attempt — which could have occurred only with the knowledge and support of some senior ministers — was a full-blown political crisis of the government’s own making.
The courts cleared the Ombudsman to investigate the matter, and the government, having instructed many of its MPs involved not to give evidence, sat on its hands waiting for that investigation to be completed.
Then, just before the Ombudsman handed down her report, the government repaid the $388,000 it is alleged to have misused, saying that in repaying the money the matter was over.
No! This is a fraud not only of money, but of public trust.
Importantly, the government has refused to repay the up to $1 million of public money it spent trying to cover up its actions.
The cricket ball-tampering saga was so obvious to all that those involved have been sanctioned, and will now rebuild their lives. More details might emerge, but I, and the public generally, believe that issue has been dealt with, and everyone can move on.
No cover-up. No Watergate.
Not so with the Victorian government. Because of its failure to admit its error at the time the whistle blew, this is a fraud that is going to keep giving.
Already one Labor MP, former minister Jane Garrett, has called on the government to repay the cost of the legal proceedings.
It now appears that the Privileges Committee of the Legislative Council will call before it the individuals who were involved in the red shirts activity.
But unless the government changes its view, you can bet that certain ALP ministers and MPs will refuse to appear.
The smell of guilt will continue to haunt the government.
We all know the scrutiny that our politicians are under today. It seems much more intense than 20 years ago.
A litany of politicians have lost high office for misusing public money for their own purposes, or being seen to do so.
In NSW, some have been jailed. Not so here in Victoria. I am not suggesting the red shirts scandal is on that scale, but to date no person has accepted responsibility for the breach of the rules that govern parliamentary behaviour. Of course, the cover-up makes it worse, but even that could be dealt with if the government ’fessed up and cleared the decks.
What chance of that? Probably none, because when you start digging holes to hide in, people normally keep digging.
Let’s hope I am wrong.
The government started its period in office just over three years ago tearing up a contract for the East-West Link, saying it would not cost taxpayers anything. But it did: $1.2 billion.
And all for nothing.
Now, it is finishing its term having used our money for its own purposes. Its period in government has been bookended by the same ingredient: a total disregard for public money.
Collectively, they have failed any test of good governance.
Have a good day, knowing that your standards of accounting for money is substantially higher than those of the government that instructs us how to live our lives.
Jeff Kennett is a former premier of Victoria
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