Friday, 14 November 2025

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:05): My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, I refer to the comments in the Ombudsman’s annual report where Victoria’s Ombudsman Marlo Baragwanath said:

… I am increasingly concerned that core integrity agencies are receiving a diminishing proportion of resources relative to the growth of the public sector they are charged with overseeing.

Treasurer, I therefore ask: why are you starving the Ombudsman and integrity agencies of proper funding?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:06): Mr Davis, I reject the premise of your question. The budgets for integrity agencies have increased year in, year out under our government. In relation to next year’s budget, it will be considered in the normal way, with the integrity agencies putting in their requests for government’s consideration.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:06): Treasurer, the Ombudsman’s role, along with the other core integrity agencies, is important to ensure the efficient and effective use of public sector resources. Treasurer, I say to you: is it not a fact that the decision to squeeze the integrity agencies is not only nasty but false economy and that the government’s decision to constrain the Ombudsman and other agencies is driven by Labor’s fear of scrutiny?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:07): Mr Davis, these are independent agencies. There are processes in relation to budget considerations that will continue in the normal way. You have made reference to the fact that all government agencies should be efficient and effective, and I concur with that. But I can also point to the fact that there was a deliberate decision to exclude integrity agencies from the Silver review, because I viewed, similar to the comments that you have made, that it would not be appropriate for them to be subject to the process that I asked Ms Silver to undertake. But I can again confirm, which you seem to have not agreed with in your substantive question, that the budgets of our integrity agencies have increased every year.