Victoria opposition calls for integrity bodies to be ‘beefed up’, Red Shirts fallout continues

Victoria’s integrity bodies should be beefed up, the state’s opposition says as the November state election draws closer.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Victoria’s Opposition Leader has called for the powers of the state’s integrity watchdogs to be strengthened amid ongoing fallout from the Labor Party’s “red shirts” scandal.

Matthew Guy said on Wednesday that Daniel Andrews “doesn’t get it when it comes to integrity” as he dialled up pressure on the Premier after the resignation of John Lenders, the “red shirts” mastermind, from Labor’s election committee.

“You can’t say that you are upholding integrity and accepting John Lenders’ resignation when these things only happen when the media call you out,” Mr Guy said.

“The Premier is either someone who supports integrity or he isn’t. And clearly his government is not one that supports integrity in government otherwise they would not have nobbled the corruption commission.”

A new ombudsman’s report into what Mr Andrews knew about the rort – in which electorate staff were paid $388,00 to campaign for Labor in 2014 – will be tabled in parliament on Thursday.

Mr Guy said the Liberal Party would allocate $10m to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission if it won the forthcoming election.

“These integrity bodies need to be beefed up,” he said.

“What we need is investigative bodies in Victoria that are well resourced, well funded and have the powers to do their job.”