Wednesday, 3 May 2023

Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

Operation Daintree: Special Report

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:09): I also rise to speak about the corruption that is permeating far too widely across our state and speak to the Operation Daintree: Special Report.

Evan Mulholland: Tentacles.

Georgie CROZIER: Mr Mulholland calls it tentacles. That is exactly right.

Evan Mulholland: It’s in the report.

Georgie CROZIER: It is in the report, and it was said by former health ministers Minister Hennessy and Minister Mikakos. That really blew the whistle on how far the power of the Premier’s private office extends into government departments and agencies, and it really is corrupt and crooked behaviour when you look at the history that the Premier has got himself involved with.

If you look at the Operation Daintree: Special Report, under the section headed ‘The nature of IBAC’s findings’, it talks about this very issue around corruption and corrupt conduct. The report says:

It includes conduct that involves a breach of public trust, such as the misuse of a public power or position, and can include misuse of information gained by a public officer. The misuse can be for private gain, or advantage of that person or another person.

And what we found with Daintree and the Health Services Union was that the Premier’s office was involved with doing deals with the union – dirty little deals with the unions. Goodness knows what else was going on, but it became very evident that there was favouritism to this union by the Premier himself and his office, and this contract was given on the eve of an election. This Premier – frankly, I do not know how he can stand up –

Evan Mulholland: Quid quo pro.

Georgie CROZIER: Quid quo pro – that is right. I do not know how this Premier can stand up there and just keep looking down the barrel of a camera saying there is nothing wrong. Even worse than that, he said this was an educational report. How out of touch is he? Well, the Ombudsman put that to rest, didn’t she? I have got a motion on this very issue, but what she said was:

It was not an educational report, it was a damning report about misconduct of ministerial advisors, and ministerial responsibility for those advisors.

…

I think it says a lot about the Premier’s views on corruption and integrity.

They are damning words by the Ombudsman, who really, absolutely said it how it is, because you cannot dismiss this. The Premier has got a very nasty habit of dismissing people that are speaking out on these issues. He dismissed former IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich about the letter that he sent the Parliament. He dismissed that and started being quite –

A member: ‘Some bloke’.

Georgie CROZIER: Yes, referring to him as ‘some bloke’. I mean, how arrogant and how disrespectful to somebody who has held the office of this very important agency that looks to protect our state and the governance of this state. What we do know is that the more IBAC inquiries the Premier is involved in, the more it becomes further evident he has got his fingers involved in a whole lot of dodgy behaviours. I think that is unbecoming for a Premier of this state. I cannot believe what he has been involved in: four IBAC inquiries that we know of, potentially five. People say, ‘No, there’s another one he’s been involved in.’ Well, I wish he would come out and put that to bed: ‘Yes, I’ve been involved in a fifth’ or ‘No, I have not’. But four – what Premier in this country would be still standing and holding their position, having been involved in four anti-corruption commission inquiries? People have gone for bringing a TV into the country and –

Evan Mulholland: A bottle of wine.

Georgie CROZIER: A bottle of wine. Having far lesser issues around corruption, they have done the right thing and actually left their positions, because that is the right thing to do to enable trust from the community and show how government should operate. But not this Premier – no, he just disregards any form of decency at all. And I have to say that I agree with Ms Glass, who said it says a lot about the Premier’s views of corruption and integrity, because clearly he does not hold that in high regard. He has no moral decency around what integrity means and why we need to clean up corruption in this state. This is a very, very telling report, and I am sure there will be more to be said about this report.