Outgoing IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich’s letter accuses the government of revenge attacks

The Andrews government has quashed an opposition move to suspend parliamentary business as MPs erupted over explosive claims it had launched revenge attacks on IBAC. Read the bombshell letter.

The Andrews government has shut down a move to suspend scheduled parliamentary business following explosive allegations by former IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich.

It comes after Premier Daniel Andrews said he hadn’t seen the letter, which details accusations that his government had launched revenge attacks on the state’s anti-corruption watchdog, claiming it would have been addressed to him if it was serious.

Mr Redlich wrote to the parliament’s presiding officers in December raising serious concerns about potential misconduct by government MPs.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto on Thursday moved to suspend debate on the government’s Heritage Amendment Bill, arguing parliament should instead debate the non-receipt of Mr Redlich’s letter by MPs.

But both the speaker of the lower house and president of the upper house have refused to release the letter to MPs.

Premier Daniel Andrews says he has not seen Robert Redlich’s letter. Picture: AAP

Parliament broke out in pandemonium as opposition MPs accused the government of orchestrating a “political hit job” on IBAC.

The opposition has demanded the release of Mr Redlich’s explosive letter, saying he had made it clear it was meant to be seen by all MPs.

The move to suspend normal business was backed by the Greens.

Greens MP Tim Read said the party would forfeit its right to debate the Heritage Amendment Bill.

“This is an urgent matter,” he said.

“It simply doesn’t make sense, it can’t be justified, and you couldn’t explain this with a straight face ... for a government dominated committee to be responsible for oversight of the government.

“It’s critical that we debate the question of the non-receipt of this letter.”

>> Read the explosive letter below

The Herald Sun on Thursday revealed the full document sent from IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich to the presiding officers of the Victorian parliament.

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.

The incredible allegations are contained in a secret letter sent by Mr Redlich to parliament’s lower house speaker and upper house president in December – as he completed his five-year stint as IBAC commissioner – and obtained this week by the Herald Sun.

Mr Andrews denied the accusation as “simply wrong” but also claimed he had not seen the letter.

He said his office could have been made aware of the letter but he didn’t know about it.

The Premier also alleged that the documents would have been addressed to him if the claims inside it were serious.

“They’re so serious, and they relate to the government but they’ve not been sent to the government,” Mr Andrews said.

“The first I’ve heard of any of the claims apparently contained within that letter is the coverage about it today.

“I’m not having a debate with a bloke who used to run an agency who’s apparently written a letter that I haven’t seen.

“In any event, I’m sure the presiding officers will look at that (and) in the meantime the membership of parliamentary committees has already been determined.”

Daniel Andrews has ­personally faced at least four IBAC probes. Picture: Hamish Blair

Daniel Andrews has ­personally faced at least four IBAC probes, which have been investigating dealings between the government and the powerful United Firefighters Union, allegations of corrupt land deals, the misuse of ­political staffers and union grants.

Among the most serious allegations made in the explosive Redlich letter is that government MPs directed independent auditors Callida Consulting to “find dirt on IBAC and data that is not readily publicly available”.

“IBAC was advised that the IOC (Integrity and Oversight Committee) is looking for evidence to support a narrative that ‘IBAC is not performing’,” Mr Redlich says.

“What is most concerning is that it appears that the chair and majority of the IOC Audit Sub-Committee seemed intent on casting IBAC in a negative light for what we can only assume were political reasons relating to the work undertaken by IBAC.”

The audit concluded underfunding had hampered the agency’s work.

But it was revealed Labor chair, former MP Dustin Halse, had ordered Callida to make a series of changes to its draft report before it would be accepted.

They included references to IBAC’s funding that shadow Attorney-General Michael O’Brien slammed as completely inappropriate.

The former judge also raises numerous concerns in the letter that the government had used its majority on the parliamentary Integrity and Oversight Committee to interfere with IBAC.

IBAC has investigated dealings between the government and the powerful United Firefighters Union. Picture: Hamish Blair

The letter called for reform to change this so that the parliamentary process could be truly independent from the government.

But Mr Andrews defended the current system as appropriate.

“He (the commissioner) has got a view. He’s not in the parliament. He didn’t stand for election. He’s not part of the government or part of a majority or a member of the House. Other people are, and those decisions have already been made.

“You want to determine parliamentary committee membership? Well, then get yourself elected.”

When asked if the letter alarmed him enough to warrant further investigation, Mr Andrews again maintained he hadn’t seen it.

This is despite the fact it is published in full on the Herald Sun’s website.

“I’ve got no announcements to make about claims made by someone, the nature of which the details of which I haven’t even seen,” he said.

“It was of such grave seriousness, and it was such an important matter for me to take action on (but) it wasn’t sent to me”.

When asked if his private office had spoken to Labor MPs about their committee work, Mr Andrews said his office “behaved appropriately at all times”.

“A committee is made up of members of parliament who are elected by the parliament and are accountable to the parliament.

“There are clear rules and protocols in relation to these matters.

“I’m not here to give you a blow by blow of every conversation everyone’s had with anybody ever.

“I reject any, any contention that my office behaves in anything other than appropriate terms.”

Outgoing IBAC chief Robert Redlich has made incredible allegations in a secret letter. Picture: AAP

It comes amid an ongoing probe by Ombudsman Deborah Glass into the politicisation of the public service, with concerns that non-political positions have been stacked with Labor activists.

In his letter, Mr Redlich lashes the IOC for failing to follow proper processes during a probe of IBAC conduct in which he was gagged by former chair Harriet Shing.

And he says constant leaking from the committee had been used for political advantage.

“IBAC has been concerned for some time now that partisan politics has intruded into the workings of the Committee on issues of integrity,” he says.

“IBAC’s experience with the IOC, particularly in the last twelve months, evidences a lack of fairness, partisanship and leaking of information to the media.”

Mr Redlich calls on an urgent review of the make-up of the committee, warning no one party should hold a majority.

The current committee of seven MPs is made up of four from Labor, one Green, one National and one Liberal and is chaired by Labor MP Gary Maas.

The government is now in the process of selecting a new IBAC Commissioner, with the state opposition calling for a bipartisan consultation on the appointment, but the Labor-majority IOC has veto powers over the appointment.

Former IOC chair Harriet Shing. Picture: Valeriu Campan

On Thursday, Ms Shing refused to comment on whether she witnessed any “partisan politics” during her time as chair of the Integrity and Oversight Commission (IOC).

She said she had not seen Mr Redlich’s letter and maintained his comments were “entirely a matter for (Mr Redlich)”.

“I haven’t been on that committee for quite some time now. I will leave others to comment on the remarks made by a former IBAC commissioner,” Ms Shing said.

When asked if she thought there should be more representation from other parties and cross-benchers on the IOC, Ms Shing said it was not a matter for her to “run a commentary on the composition of that committee”.

“The Parliamentary Committees Act is the statute that regulates the carriage of that committee and its composition is a matter for parliament,” Ms Shing said.

“I’m not going to run a commentary on any comments made by a former chair of IBAC. The Integrity and Oversight Committee has its job to do and I will leave it to discharge its obligations and to do so in accordance with the Parliament Committees Act.”

When asked if she was ever advised by members of the Labor party to hinder IBAC’s operations, Ms Shing said “no”.

Mr Redlich, who was appointed to his five-year term at IBAC in 2018, became increasingly critical of the government towards the end of his tenure and warned of the risk of corruption due to the centralisation of power around Mr Andrews office.

He repeatedly raised concerns about IBAC’s funding and resources, and called for greater powers to investigate, warning IBAC’s framework meant it was powerless to probe allegations of “soft corruption” that fell short of criminal conduct.

But his December letter is the most explicit he has been about accusations of wrongdoing by the government.

He took the extraordinary step of sending the letter in order to bring his concerns to the attention of parliament and call for urgent change.

The state opposition and the Greens have both publicly called for the letter to be released publicly.

However the calls have been rejected by both the government and the parliament with a Liberal Party motion to have the letter circulated to MPs this week defeated.