https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/improper-influence-daniel-and...









'Improper influence': Daniel Andrews government rocked by bombshell IBAC findings involving senior Labor figures.
Premier Daniel Andrews has been rocked by bombshell findings from Victoria’s corruption watchdog implicating some of the most senior figures of the state government.


The Victorian anti-corruption body has found senior Andrews government figures interfered in a contract procurement process to give “favourable treatment” to a Labor aligned union affiliate.

The Independent Broadbased Anti-corruption Commission said it found evidence of “misconduct and improper influence” implicating high-placed figures in the Andrews Government.

IBAC’s Operation Daintree was established to investigate a $1.2 million Department of Health and Human Services contract awarded to a firm linked to the Health Workers Union in 2018.

The investigation found senior advisors to the health minister as well as
for occupational violence and aggression training to health workers.

IBAC uncovered evidence which showed the powerful health union was “given privileged access and favourable treatment in its access” to ministerial offices.


It also found there was a clear conflict between the government’s interests in awarding the contract to the most suitable provider and Labor’s interest in “assisting an affiliated union” which the corruption commission said was “not properly managed or declared”.

“Advisors in the Premier’s Private Office and the Minister for Health’s office also interfered in the management of the HEF contract to obstruct consideration of its termination and to ensure it continued,” IBAC Acting Commissioner Stephen Farrow said in a statement.

“The DHHS awarded the contract to HEF without a competitive procurement process due to senior staff in the department believing it was the minister’s and government’s preference, and because of ongoing pressure from both the Minister for Health’s advisor and Secretary of the union.

“This conduct by senior public servants falls short of the required Victorian public sector standards.”

continued:

The bombshell findings will come as a major blow to the Premier who came under fire during the November election over issues of integrity.

IBAC found there was a significant lack of oversight from ministers which led to the potential for “plausible deniability”.

It also uncovered the Premier had contradicted himself in multiple public statements, in a scathing rebuke of Mr Andrews.

In his evidence to the commission, Mr Andrews said he did not recall what was said during a meeting with HWU Secretary Diana Asmar in 2018 before making the announcement of the project and before the subsequent tender process.

Mr Andrews conceded later his memory was “faulty”.

But IBAC rubbished claims of Mr Andrews’ independence of the decision to award the lucrative contract to HEF.

“It is highly likely that the Premier was informed of the commitment proposal as formulated by his advisors and conveyed the substance of the intended commitment to Ms Asmar when he met her before making the announcement,” the special report said.

“During his examination, the Premier ultimately accepted that he may have done so.”



The Premier has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to the HEF contract or other instances of alleged corruption.

IBAC’s functions and investigations have come under scrutiny and have been compared with its NSW counterpart ICAC amid the debate around a Commonwealth anti-corruption commission.

Before the Albanese government passed legislation for the National Anti-Corruption Commission last year, Scott Morrison had raised concerns that NSW’s ICAC had become a “Kangaroo court”.

Updated list of Ozpolitic Cultural Marxists:

https://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1660808671/255



LTYC,
FTLW,
Monk,
Smith,
Greggy,
Mothra,
Athos,
AiA,
Jim,
Random,
Marla,
Dnarever.
Brian?

Jovial Monk wrote on Apr 19^th, 2023 at 4:50pm:



Hi Monk,
do you support Dan?

Jovial Monk wrote on Apr 19^th, 2023 at 5:24pm:



IBAC - 17 findings relating to corruption
including Dan giving his mates contracts with taxpayers money.   

I read what you posted. Nothing there about Dan.

https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/peta-credlin/daniel-andrews-wellrehearsed-spi...







10 hours ago

Sky News host Peta Credlin has called “BS” on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ “weak excuses” following the release of IBAC’s damning report.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission has revealed it found evidence of “misconduct and improper influence” implicating high-placed figures in the Andrews government.

“Now you can’t tell me that this went on and the Premier sat at his desk only metres away from his senior staff and that he knew nothing,” Ms Credlin said.

“I’ve been in job of advising senior leaders, so I can tell you this is BS – the Premier’s weak excuses today, all of this happened in his office, on his watch, and still he says he didn’t know.

“The Premier’s dissembling today – let’s see it for what it was – it was just well-rehearsed spin to try and defend the indefensible – just more shocking behaviour from a bloke whose own government is now a by-word for corruption.”

Ms Credlin questioned at what point will Victorians say, “enough is enough”.

Jovial Monk wrote on Apr 20^th, 2023 at 7:07am:



The main Ozpolitic cultural Marxist defending his corrupt champion.  tsk  tsk