Late-night deal that doomed Redlich letter inquiry backed by integrity experts

Summary: Changes to Oversight Committee in Victoria Welcomed by Integrity Experts

The Andrews government has struck a deal to relinquish control of parliament’s integrity and oversight committee, leading to support from integrity experts, including the Centre for Public Integrity, Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank. Despite the changes, former head of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), Robert Redlich, could still be called to testify about the government’s treatment of the watchdog. The reform will result in the government losing the majority on the committee, which will be chaired by a non-government MP. This committee supervises IBAC, the Victorian Ombudsman, the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, and the Victorian Inspectorate. Critics are calling for legislative reform to ensure all oversight committees operate without government dominance.

This summary comes from The Age, was written by Rachel Eddie and Broede Carmody, and can be found here.