Thursday, 9 March 2023

Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

Members interjecting.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:24): (79) These are serious issues. You might laugh over these, but these are serious issues. My question is to Minister Shing. Minister, were you ordered to gag the former IBAC Commissioner in order to protect Premier Daniel Andrews?

The PRESIDENT: I also have concern that this is a question relating to what is not the minister’s administration in this term, but I am prepared to put the question.

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (12:25): Thank you, President. Without wanting to set any precedent along the lines of what you have just described as it relates to commentary on the execution of functions under the parliamentary committees structure, regulated as it is by the Parliamentary Committees Act and therefore regulated by the Parliament, I want to confirm to the house that I was asked this question this morning at the back of the Parliament and I have been asked this question on a number of occasions before, and my answer has been on the public record in every instance whereby I have been asked this question. And the answer has always been no.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:26): Minister, given you admitted to acting alone in disgracefully gagging the IBAC Commissioner, how can Victorians trust that you manage your portfolios in a transparent and accountable way with the highest level of integrity when your track record shows that you interfered in anti-corruption investigations into the Premier?

The PRESIDENT: I have got a problem with that one because it should be by a substantive motion if you are going to make an allegation against a sitting member. I am not going to put the question.