Premier Daniel Andrews sticks to his story on red shirts after senior minister reveals caucus briefing

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has again faced questions over his knowledge of Labor’s red shirts saga after a senior government minister said under oath that caucus was briefed on the scheme.

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has again faced questions over his knowledge of Labor’s red shirts saga after a senior government minister said under oath that caucus was briefed on the scheme.

Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings told a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday night that Labor MPs had a “brief” presentation on the scheme at a caucus meeting, although he could not remember if Mr Andrews was present.

He also said that allowing electorate officers to wear red shirts — the name now used to describe the scheme that siphoned almost $388,000 from parliamentary budgets to part-pay campaign staff — was one of its “fundamental sins”.

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Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings and Premier Daniel Andrews face the media after the release of the Ombudsman’s report. Picture: Alex Coppel

Parliamentary rules prevent electorate officers from campaigning during work.

“I thought that people were drawing attention to themselves when they were doing ordinary work that didn’t need to draw attention to themselves by putting on a uniform,” Mr Jennings said.

“Ironically that was one of the fundamental sins of this scheme.”

In a rowdy session of State Parliament on Thursday, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy questioned how anybody could believe that Mr Andrew “knew nothing” after Mr Jennings’ evidence.

Gavin Jennings appears at the inquiry on Wednesday night. Picture: Tony Gough

Mr Andrews hit back and said that “the Leader of the Opposition continues to put things to me that he rather hoped to be the case, that in fact are not the case”.

“It is obviously inaccurate and I would refer him to the Ombudsman’s report,” he said.

“The Ombudsman found that each and every member of parliament involved in these arrangements acted in good faith.”

Victoria Police continues to consider whether to launch a formal investigation into the saga.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said last week that a decision was “imminent”.

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