Premier fails to release CFA reports before state election
PREMIER Daniel Andrews has kept some of the most contentious reports into his government’s performance under wraps until after the November 24 State Election.
PREMIER Daniel Andrews is keeping some of the most contentious reports into his government’s performance under wraps until after the November 24 state election.
The Government failed to table the 2017-18 annual reports for about a third of the government’s departments and agencies during its last sitting week in September, including those of the CFA, Regional Development Victoria and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.
The failure means Victorians will go to the polls with no details on the financial impacts of the Government’s deal to deliver the CFA’s union firefighters a 19 per cent pay rise and recruit hundreds more.
Ultimately farmers, regional businesses and households will have to pay the higher cost of running the CFA, via the Fire Services Property Levy on municipal rates bills.
Opposition Emergency Services spokesman Brad Battin said Mr Andrews was “misleading Victorians, hiding the truth of his war with the CFA.
“If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide,” Mr Battin said.
“If Daniel Andrews has nothing to fear in the CFA annual report then he should release it publicly before the November election.
“Daniel Andrews leaves the safety of Victorians at risk, as his war with the CFA has seen more volunteers leave.”
At least a third of all government agency and department reports for 2017-18 have been left in limbo, given state legislation presently demands they are tabled in Parliament, which will not sit again until after the election.
The Government has the power to draft legislation to allow reports to be tabled outside sitting weeks, but Mr Battin said they made no move in September to do so.
Deputy Premier and Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said both the CFA and MFB reports would be tabled on the next sitting day of Parliament — after the election.
“Given the large number of annual reports and shorter parliamentary schedule, reports were still being processed during the final sitting week of parliament,” he said.
Mr Merlino’s statement comes despite the date of the Victoria’s election being known years in advance.
Other annual reports that have not been released include:
METROPOLITAN Fire Brigade
VICFORESTS
ENVIRONMENT Protection Authority
DEPARTMENT of Health and Human Services
OFFICE of Public Prosecutions
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