A new IBAC report has exposed Labor and the Liberals’ failure to clean up Victoria’s political system, with critical reforms on lobbying, political donations and misuse of public resources still gathering dust as Victoria heads towards an election.
IBAC reported that 84 per cent of their recommendations have been fully implemented overall, but also that only 14 of 21 recommendations from Operation Watts, which exposed the misuse of public resources by Labor Ministers, remain unimplemented, and every single recommendation from IBAC’s landmark report into corruption risks from donations and lobbying is yet to be acted on.
The Victorian Greens say Labor and the Liberals have spent this term blocking Greens attempts to clean up politics, leaving Victoria the “wild west” for corporate donations, lobbying and conflicts of interest.
Unlike other states, Victoria still has no laws regulating the interactions between lobbyists, Ministers and MPs to prohibit conflicts of interests, including preventing Ministers moving into political lobbying roles directly after leaving parliament.
The Greens have pushed to ban gambling donations, crack down on lobbying and stop Ministers accepting corporate gifts from industries they regulate, while recently securing stronger IBAC powers after years of campaigning by the late Dr Tim Read.
As stated by Victorian Greens Leader Ellen Sandell:
“Thanks to Labor and the Liberals opposing reforms, Victoria is heading into an election with political integrity laws resembling the wild west, and One Nation waiting in the wings to exploit them.
“IBAC sounded the alarm years ago about the corruption risks from lobbying and political donations. Labor and the Liberals responded by blocking reforms and keeping the corporate gravy train running.
“Labor and the Liberals have taken millions from gambling interests, then joined forces in Parliament to vote down Greens attempts to ban gambling donations. You don’t need to be IBAC to see why that stinks.
“Victorians deserve to know the people making decisions are working for them – not the lobbyists, gambling corporations and big donors buying tickets, pouring drinks and filling political war chests.
“The Greens will keep fighting to get dirty corporate money out of politics and shut the revolving door between political power and corporate influence.”
