Labor MP calls on party to refund legal fees

IN another blow to Premier Daniel Andrews, a Labor MP has broken ranks and called on the party to repay taxpayer funds it spent on legal fees trying to block an investigation into its rorts for votes scandal.

IN another blow to Premier Daniel Andrews, a Labor MP has broken ranks and called on the party to repay taxpayer funds it spent on legal fees trying to block an investigation into its rorts for votes scandal.

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Brunswick MP and former minister Jane Garrett said the party should pay back the money spent trying to stop the Ombudsman from investigating its use of electoral staff in the 2014 election campaign.

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Brunswick MP and former minister Jane Garrett. Picture: Ellen Smith

“I certainly think we may have to look at that, I do,” she said when appearing on The Friday Show with Rita Panahi on Sky News on Friday. “So at this stage we haven’t paid the money back, I think they’ve put a figure on it of about $140,000, but I’m sure that will be an ongoing conversation.”

Ms Garrett said politicians needed to set an example.

“Really our job as politicians is to serve the people and to behave in a way that people feel if not inspired, that may be too much of an ask, but have faith in us and I think it’s been a nasty old week,” she said.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass. Picture: Alex Coppel

Attorney-General Martin Pakula launched a series of legal challenges in an attempt to thwart the investigation of Ombudsman Deborah Glass.

There is conjecture about how much was spent on legal bids to block the report, with some estimate more than $1 million was spent.

But the Labor government has admitted paying $139,000 briefing external lawyers to challenge the Ombudsman in its failed bid in the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula. Picture: AAP

This month, Ms Glass found the party inappropriately used $388,000 of public funds to help pay for “field ­organisers” who directed an army of grassroots campaigners dubbed the Red Shirts.

But in 2015, the government wrote to the Ombudsman saying it did not believe she had the power to investigate some government MPs use of electorate officers.

Parliament’s Legislative Council referred the Red Shirts scandal to investigation, but citing parliamentary rules the government said that meant Ms Glass could not investigate MPs in the Legislative ­Assembly.

Mr Pakula said it took the legal battle on an important parliamentary principle.

“The legal principles that were tested in this matter were very important principles to be tested,” he said. “The government had a strong view about that, a lot of people have a strong view about that.

“The matter appears to be settled as a result of the action in the Court of Appeal but they were important principles to be tested. Everybody is now much the wiser.”

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