Report failure: Treasurer delays delivery until after state election

The Andrews Government is trying to hold back controversial reports into its performance until after the election.

Key annual reports into Government agencies, such as the CFA, may be delayed once again until after Victoria’s state election. PICTURE: ZOE PHILLIPS

Victorian voters’ ability to hold the Andrews Government to account has been undermined by Treasurer Tim Pallas’ warning the annual reports of many of its agencies will not be published until after the November 26 election.

Mr Pallas last month wrote to both houses of Parliament stating government “non-material” agencies had been advised to work towards preparing their 2021-22 annual reports “however, given the scheduled final sitting day, it is possible their annual reports will not be tabled until on the first sitting day of the new Parliament”.

In the leadup to the November 2018 the Andrews Government failed to table the 2017-18 annual reports for about a third of the government’s departments and agencies, including those of the CFA, Regional Development Victoria and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.

At the time regional MFB and CFA annual reports until after the election, at a time when it was negotiating major reforms of the fire services.

Opposition Treasury spokesman David Davis said “there’s around 250 annual reports that are due to be tabled by the 15th of October, and the government is clearly determined not to sit so that those reports cannot be tabled.

“We heard a series of strange explanations about why reports might not be tabled in a letter from the Treasurer, but the truth is the government has a legal responsibility to table the reports by the 15th of October.

“We will seek to sit longer in the upper house, and that will be a matter for a vote, but we think the parliament should continue sitting.

“It is important that MPs do their job. We don’t think people should go home at partway through the final quarter. We think they should play the full game.

Mr Davis said many of the reports were sure to show massive cost blowouts in infrastructure projects and hospitals with major deficits.

“The community is entitled to see this information and it is simply a cover up by the government to send the parliament home early to cover their tracks,” he said.