By Paul Sakkal
The chair of the government's peak advisory body into multicultural affairs has admitted she doesn't have control of key operational functions of the commission, which have been "swallowed" by the public service.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission, chaired by Helen Kapalos, has been beset with threats of resignations by commissioners and allegations of political interference by government.
Victorian Multicultural Commission chair Helen Kapalos.Credit: Vince Caligiuri
A review will be undertaken into the operation of the commission, which some believe may lead to wholesale change of personnel.
The review - to be led by public servant Warren McCann, who also led a 2016 review which essentially merged the commission into the Department of Premier and Cabinet - will look into the governance framework of the body.
Several commissioners have either considered their positions or formally threatened to resign in the last 12 months.
They point to the organisation's high staff turnover as a marker of its instability, with five directors and four senior policy advisers leaving in the last four years.
The structural issues facing the commission are worsened by several frayed relationships at the organisation.
The commission, which was involved in $50 million worth of government funding last year, is an independent statutory body tasked with linking government to multicultural communities.
A government spokesperson said the commission played a “critical role”, saying “it is timely to evaluate the current administrative structure and governance arrangements of the VMC".
Commissioners and departmental sources, who would not be named, say the commission in its current form is unable to uphold its duty as a community conduit and is failing to play a meaningful role helping shape the government’s multicultural policy, with no control over its own budgetary oversight, allocation of grants or commissioning of research.
Critics point to the commission being absent on key issues of multicultural affairs, including a lack of front-line engagement with the South Sudanese community in response to the recent focus on youth crime.
The commission’s leadership accuses the government of using the body for party-political purposes, handpicking appointments on partisan grounds.
This view is supported by outgoing Victorian upper house president Bruce Atkinson, who told The Age the commission is “susceptible to political interference and direction".
Some commissioners say Ms Kapalos is responsible for failing to provide strategic direction in her three years at the helm. Others defend Ms Kapalos’ leadership, saying the nobbling of the commission at the hands of the public service is the root issue.
A memorandum of understanding signed between the commission and the Department of Premier and Cabinet in 2017 states the main function of DPC is as a “secretariat”, “to be directed by the VMC in undertaking its functions” independently.
Asked about the MOU, Ms Kapalos said there was “significant work” to be done to ensure the department’s undertakings were fulfilled.
Ms Kapalos told The Age mediation talks were agreed to with the department in November to address issues of independence, however the commission eventually agreed to suspend mediation until a new government was sworn in.
Ms Kapalos said she welcomed the review, saying it’s “important for our commission to maintain independence and to be involved in important functions like determining budgets, creating policy and hiring staff''.
Several commissioners acknowledged the necessity of a review when contacted by The Age, with one saying it “will act as catalyst for stronger engagement of multicultural communities and improvement of internal processes.”
Graham Leonard, who resigned from the commission last year, said he “wasn’t surprised” others were threatening to do likewise.
Mr Leonard quit due to a “lack of support for the commission by bureaucrats”, who he said had an inherent conflict of interest serving both the commission and the minister concurrently.
Mr Leonard said the new minister responsible for multicultural affairs, Richard Wynne, would be unable to allocate sufficient focus to the portfolio given his other responsibilities for planning and housing.
Liberal MP Bruce Atkinson said a review was “absolutely necessary".
“[The VMC] hasn't been able to provide objective input on policy or matters of importance to multicultural communities.”