A motion to establish a parliamentary inquiry into accusations Victorian Labor MPs told an independent auditor to “find dirt” on the corruption watchdog is likely to fail after an 11th-hour deal.
It was revealed this month former Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) boss Robert Redlich wrote to parliament’s Speaker and president with complaints about a Labor-majority committee.
Mr Redlich said Callida Consulting, which was hired to audit the agency, was directed by Labor members of the Integrity and Oversight Committee (IOC) to “find dirt on IBAC and data that is not readily publicly available”.
He called for the committee not to be chaired by a government member or have a majority of government MPs.
Premier Daniel Andrews, who insisted he had not read the letter, rejected the allegations and rebuffed an opposition call to set up a judicial inquiry.
In another attempt to investigate the letter’s allegations, an opposition motion to establish a parliamentary inquiry will be debated in the upper house on Wednesday.
The proposed six-member select committee would be required to report and make recommendations by November 28, and be chaired by a non-government MP.
But it appears doomed after the Greens and Legalise Cannabis Party secured a deal with the government to guarantee the IOC will no longer have a government majority or government chair.
There are four Greens and two Legalise Cannabis MPs in the Legislative Council, giving Labor the numbers to defeat the motion.
“Our priority has been to get an outcome rather than headlines and we’re pleased to see an improvement in our anti-corruption regime,” Greens integrity spokesman Tim Read said.
The reforms offer an immediate response to Mr Redlich’s call and will restore faith in public processes and practices, Legalise Cannabis Party MP Rachel Payne added.
Before the deal was announced, the opposition’s upper house leader Georgie Crozier said crossbenchers hadn’t raised any requests for amendments to the motion during discussions with the coalition.
Opposition leader John Pesutto said the inquiry would have powers to subpoena witnesses such as Mr Redlich, but not Mr Andrews or other lower house MPs.
“It’s the job of a select committee that we’re trying to set up to test those allegations,” he said.
“They may be substantiated, they might not. But for all we know, if we don’t proceed with a select inquiry, we’ll never know.”
— AAP
