Andrews refuses to read damning letter from former boss of Vic’s corruption watchdog

Opposition leader John Pesutto says Daniel Andrews must front a parliamentary inquiry into corruption concerns within his own government.

Premier Daniel Andrews is refusing to read an explosive letter from the former boss of Victoria’s corruption watchdog.

As revealed by the Herald Sun last week, former IBAC head Robert Redlich wrote to the parliament’s presiding officers in December raising serious concerns about potential misconduct by government MPs.

It included claims that government MPs involved in the powerful Integrity and Oversight Committee had instructed an independent consultant to “dig up dirt” on IBAC and that this had come after coverage of multiple government probes by the watchdog.

Despite rejecting the allegations outlined by Mr Redlich’s in his letter, the Premier is still refusing offers to read the correspondence.

“I’m not in the business of reading correspondence that’s not addressed to me and I’m not in the business of accepting allegations that have no basis in fact,” he said on Thursday, one week after the Herald Sun first published the letter.

“I’m not here to have a debate with the former head of an agency who has made claims – and so serious are these matters (yet) it wasn’t addressed to me. It wasn’t sent to me. It wasn’t raised with me.

Former IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich wrote a letter to the parliament’s presiding officers in December raising concerns over potential misconduct by government MPs.

“Some of the stuff that was put to me, and to us, is simply wrong. It’s simply and utterly wrong. I reject it.”

Asked whether he was curious about what the letter detailed, Mr Andrews fired back: “I’m curious to get on and work hard for the people of Victoria”.

“That’s what I’m curious, committed and passionate about. Not to be playing these games, and that’s what they are – games,” he added.

“You’ve got to ask the question – if it was such a massive matter for government, why was it not sent to anyone in government?

“I would have thought if anyone in the whole state knew how to access the integrity architecture in our state, it would be the former head of one of those integrity agencies.

“If he’s got a complaint to make, if he’s got more than a third hand story, then he knows – I’m sure he does – all of his options and how he can do that.”

Mr Andrews said he wouldn’t proactively reach out to Mr Redlich to discuss the matter in private.

Opposition leader John Pesutto has called on Daniel Andrews to “come clean” and front a parliamentary inquiry into corruption concerns within his own government.

Mr Pesutto said the Liberal Party had engaged in initial discussions with crossbenchers about establishing an inquiry and hoped to put this to parliament next week.

Opposition leader John Pesutto says Dan Andrews should read the IBAC letter if he has nothing to hide. Picture NCA NewsWire

“Mr Redlich – a former Supreme Court Court of Appeal Justice – has made very serious allegations of corruption inside Mr Andrews’ own office,” Mr Pesutto said on Thursday.

“If Mr Andrews has nothing to hide, he should have nothing to fear – but I suspect he has a lot to hide and a lot to fear.

“He needs to appear before an inquiry, he needs to co-operate with an inquiry.”

Mr Pesutto said there was a shared concern “right across parliament, excluding the Labor Party” that Mr Redlich’s concerns be addressed.

“I think I can say that right across the board, among the crossbench in other parties, that there is a belief that the parliament needs to do something here,” Mr Pesutto said.

“A select committee in the Upper House is probably the most likely option if something is possible. Unfortunately, Daniel Andrews, I suspect, will never agree to a royal commission or a judicial inquiry that requires a decision of the cabinet.

“I understand that Mr Andrews doesn’t have to appear if he doesn’t want to – I can understand with his own government mired in corruption allegations now that he just wants to keep his head in the sand – but I say to Mr Andrews, you should appear before an inquiry in the parliament, you should allow your staff to appear before such an inquiry … because Victorians deserve and need the truth about this matter.”