Parliamentary integrity commission probes misconduct referrals

The Joint Parliamentary Committee is conducting hearings as part of its inquiry into the performance of the Victorian integrity agencies. 

The PWSIC is an independent Victorian integrity agency established in December 2024. It is responsible for managing allegations of misconduct involving Victorian Members of Parliament, Ministers, and Parliamentary Secretaries.   

Kate O’Neill, Director, PWSIC told the Committee that the Commission has a growing caseload, telling MPs, ‘our total referrals that we've received at this point in time is sitting at 30, alongside ‘19 matters that we are not empowered to deal with’.   

She said the PWSIC is expanding its operations and refining its procedures as it approaches 18 months of work handling misconduct referrals. 

They said referrals can be made anonymously and through multiple channels, including a secure portal.

‘Our focus at this stage is for the first step not to be a hurdle,’ Ms O’Neill said.  

‘So we can accept anonymous referrals at this point, and we can use this portal to engage in two-way encrypted chat with people who wish to remain anonymous.’  

She said that approach helped inform whether complainants chose to proceed with their case.  

‘We found this to be really useful for people who want to dip their toe in the water. Maybe they're unsure about whether their matter falls within our remit. They might have questions. Once this is received through [encrypted reporting system] Elker or otherwise, our skilled complaints officer, senior complaints officer, will contact them personally within five business days,’ she said.  

David Wolf, PWSIC Chair and CEO told the hearing that the welfare of referrers was an important consideration in the process. 

‘We're very attuned to what's required to ensure that we have a trauma-informed approach and have the best outcomes for those parties that take that step forward and make a referral to our commission,’ he said.  

The Integrity and Oversight Committee will hold a further hearing in March at which the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, Integrity Oversight Victoria and the Victorian Ombudsman will appear.