MPs urged to clean up parliament from corrupt behaviour

Victorian politicians have been urged to help tackle corrupt behaviour in parliament, with IBAC hinting its investigation is nearly over.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass has urged MPs to clean up corrupt behaviour in parliament.

Victorian MPs have been urged to help clean up the state’s political system, with the state’s anti-corruption watchdogs asking for feedback on how to stop the brazen misuse of taxpayer resources.

It comes as the agencies admitted that new laws introduced after Labor’s red shirt scandal had not done enough to stop political parties from misusing public money for their political gain.

In a joint letter, Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass and IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich asked politicians and their parties to help tackle corrupt behaviour in offices.

It said changes made after the red shirts investigation had not deterred political parties from doing the wrong thing, with evidence aired during public hearings for Operation Watts revealing electorate office staff were regularly used for factional purposes.

Earlier in the year, The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission heard weeks of evidence that showed staffers regularly helped their bosses amass factional power while on taxpayer time.

Politicians are being asked to help tackle corrupt behaviour in offices. Picture: Paul Jeffers

This included allegations they were directed to assist in branch stacking operations, fill out internal party ballots on behalf of members and pay for memberships of people who had no idea they were still in the Labor Party.

The investigation focused on disgraced MP Adem Somyurek and the Moderates faction he controlled.

“The evidence heard at the recent IBAC Operation Watts public hearings suggests that in Victoria, some Members of Parliament may be misusing public resources, in the form of electorate officers and ministerial staff, to further their political gains,” the letter reads.

“The evidence further suggests that existing rules and laws around the legitimate use of public resources are not robust enough to prevent their misuse.

“While we have as yet made no individual findings in our investigation, we invite you to assist us in recommending proposals for reform.”

The letter said it was significant that the laws had avoided using a more broad definition of “party specific” work, which limited the type of political activities which could be punished.

Former Labor MP Adem Somyurek in Victorian parliament. Picture: David Geraghty

“Members of Parliament gave evidence of their belief that Parliament deliberately omitted reference to the wider definition of “party specific” work, to permit the use of electorate officers to engage in some party-political activities during work hours.”

The mailout suggests that public hearings for the investigation may be coming to an end and that IBAC is in the process of producing its final report.

“The evidence indicates that despite a package of reforms enacted by Parliament in 2019 in response to my “Red Shirts” report in 2018, existing laws and rules around the legitimate use of public resources are not robust enough to prevent their misuse,” Ms Glass said.

The agencies now want clarity from MPs about how staff are appointed and whether staffing levels and budgets for electorate offices should be reconsidered.

“Much of the evidence heard at the public hearings spoke about how taxpayer funds were directed to ministerial and electorate office staff to perform party‐political during work hours, rather than the job they were hired to do in performing ministerial or electorate work,” Commissioner Redlich said.