Thursday, 22 June 2023

Committees

Privileges committees

Appointment of a Parliamentary Integrity Adviser for the 60th Parliament

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (09:35): Pursuant to standing order 23.22, I present a report on the appointment of a parliamentary integrity adviser for the 60th Parliament, including appendices, from the joint Assembly and Council privileges committees. I move:

That the report be published.

Motion agreed to.

Harriet SHING: I move:

That the Council take note of this report.

I want to begin by thanking the parliamentary integrity adviser Mr Ray Purdey, who has occupied this role since the first motion appointing somebody to this role. I also want to thank colleagues from the Privileges Committee in this place, in particular Ms Crozier for her work on the subcommittee, which was directed toward identifying opportunities for a parliamentary integrity adviser to undertake a role which involves a number of functions giving effect to the resolution which was made on 30 April 2019, in particular the parliamentary integrity adviser’s position to have advisory, education and training, and reporting functions.

These functions are of special importance to members in understanding and delivering on the integrity obligations that they have that are connected to their roles as members of Parliament, including issues relating to the claiming of parliamentary allowances and conflicts of interest et cetera, and to provide advice in relation to the application of the code of conduct in part 3 of the Members of Parliament (Standards) Act 1978. Also there is the importance of being available to members to consult with the integrity adviser on ethical issues and integrity matters and to provide education and training, including through attendance at Parliament and a coordination with Parliament on the provision of training to new members in particular.

It is important to note that the committee’s process around the selection of a candidate to fulfil this role has been done following a significant degree of work from the clerks, and to that end I thank Richard Willis, Vaughn Koops and Vivienne Bannan for their work in undertaking this work of an appointment. In accordance with section (5)(a) of the 2019 resolution, the joint privileges committees of both houses have determined to appoint Professor Charles Sampford as parliamentary integrity adviser under the terms and conditions of appointment that are set out in this report. Mr Sampford does come with a significant level of expertise and experience within academic fields and also in advisory capacities in other jurisdictions. He has also indicated a keen enthusiasm for the provision of advice, education and training with in-person availability at Parliament, and there are also opportunities for people to access advice on ethics, accountability and compliance with codes of conduct.

There are a number of grey areas that exist between the role of the parliamentary integrity adviser and the work that is undertaken by the clerks of the houses, the Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, the compliance officer and others, and that intersects, as members may well understand from personal experience, with, for example, the completion of the register of interests and the proper use of budgets and allowances. To that end, it is expected by the parliamentary privileges committees that the integrity adviser will be mindful of the potential for ambiguity and that the integrity adviser may include observations, suggestions and recommendations about the crossover and grey areas in any reports and meetings with the committees, but importantly the parliamentary integrity adviser will not be giving legal advice about members’ situations or circumstances.

I commend this report to the house. I recommend that members read it and understand the process which was undertaken leading to this appointment. I thank everyone involved in its delivery.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (09:39): If I can just make a few remarks to the committee’s report and also thank those that have been involved with it – the committee members on the subcommittee, who Ms Shing has already highlighted, and also Richard Willis, who is in the chamber this morning, and the work that was undertaken by Mr Willis and Vaughn Koops and other members of the secretariat that assisted with this process.

The minister did speak about the code of conduct, and the government and government members should know better than anyone about the history of the misuse of resources. I mean, there is a long history in Labor: former Speaker Telmo Languiller, Don Nardella, the red shirts affair obviously and more recently conflicts of interest for ministers who are dealing with matters of government. This role is an important role for the Parliament in terms of integrity, advising members about what has to be undertaken and looking at what they need to be recording in their pecuniary interests and other registers – members can seek advice from the parliamentary integrity adviser.

Can I just say in my concluding remarks thanks to Mr Ray Purdey, who undertook this role in the previous Parliament. I think that all members should acknowledge the work that was undertaken under difficult circumstances through COVID. Professor Sampford lives in Queensland, and we hope that he will be able to conduct his role according to what this Victorian Parliament needs, and I am looking forward to him doing so.

Motion agreed to.