Victorian IBAC-flip: witnesses now gagged

Labor-led parliamentary committee backflips on calls for public submissions from witnesses in IBAC case now entangling Premier Daniel Andrews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

At least six witnesses in an anti-corruption investigation blamed for the suicide of a former mayor are set to be blocked from publicly testifying before a parliamentary inquiry into IBAC.

In a significant about-face, the Victorian parliament’s integrity and oversight committee is ­expected to rule witnesses in ­Operation Sandon – IBAC’s probe into allegedly corrupt land deals involving Casey councillors that has also entangled Premier Daniel Andrews – will not be invited to appear in public hearings.

The committee, chaired by Labor MP Harriet Shing, has deemed witnesses, including prime target and former Casey mayor Sam Aziz, are a “high risk” of making a “prohibited disclosure” about Operation Sandon.

For the same reasons, Michael Lord, the brother of deceased ex-mayor Amanda Stapledon, is also expected to be blocked from testifying about the suicide of his sister, which witnesses and family blame on IBAC.

The gagging of Operation Sandon witnesses and Stapledon’s brother comes just two months after the committee called the ­inquiry into IBAC’s witness welfare policies and invited people to make submissions.

In a press release issued on March 18, Ms Shing said: “We ­invite submissions from the public to this important and timely ­review. The committee is keen to hear from interested groups and individuals on witnesses welfare, so we can make constructive recommendations for any necessary improvements as part of the committee’s review of the integrity agencies’ performance.”

Ms Shing’s press release went on to say the committee wanted to hear from the public on “experiences of witnesses and others involved in Victorian integrity agency investigations (including any matters relating to health, safety, wellbeing and reputation)”.

The committee’s secretariat has assessed all Operation Sandon witnesses are a “high risk” and recommended none of them be ­allowed to testify in public. The committee is expected to follow the conclusions.

“The committee’s processes and the scope of the review are published on the parliamentary committee’s site, along with my statement about the framework within which the committee operates under the Parliamentary Committees Act,” Ms Shing said on Thursday.

At least six Operation Sandon witnesses have made formal submissions to the inquiry and all ­believed they would have the right to testify in public. But now it is ­unclear if their submissions will even be considered by the committee in private and included in its final report to parliament.

The Australian revealed on May 6 that Mr Andrews had been secretly grilled by IBAC over his association with businessman John Woodman, who is at the centre of Operation Sandon.

The committee was hit by controversy when Ms Shing blocked Liberal MPs from asking IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich why Mr Andrews was allowed to be examined in private. (The Premier was also privately questioned as part of IBAC’s Operation Watts, a probe into branch stacking and misuse of public ­resources within the ALP.)

Ms Shing shut down Liberal MPs and Mr Redlich from discussing Operation Sandon, saying legislation prohibits the committee from discussing “individual matters that are before integrity agencies”.

In a fiery encounter, Ms Shing said “cut the feed” of a live­streamed session when Liberal MP Kim Wells asked Mr Redlich about why the Premier was given a private examination.

Stapledon, a two-time Casey mayor, took her own life on January 17-18, just three days after receiving IBAC’s draft report into allegations involving her failure to declare a $25,000 political ­donation from Mr Woodman. The 58-year-old’s former colleagues and friends blame IBAC for her death, saying her public examination and the marathon probe left her humiliated, isolated and paranoid.

Mr Aziz, who has made a ­ submission to the inquiry, slammed the committee for refusing to hear from witnesses. “Why call an inquiry in the first place, then call for public submissions, only to proceed to gag us?” he said. “The committee’s review has been politicised. The whole process has become a political football, particularly since it emerged the Premier had been questioned.”

Mr Aziz said Ms Shing should allow the witnesses to start testifying in public and, if necessary, go into private sessions if evidence strayed into operational matters relating to Operation Sandon.

“If any witnesses started to get into specific matters, surely she could just ‘cut the feed’ to that piece of the evidence,” he said.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call: Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au; Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au