MILDURA MP Jade Benham said she didn’t expect a “staggering” answer to a question she posed during the latest Victorian Integrity and Oversight Committee hearing.
On Monday, representatives from the Victorian Ombudsman, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Victorian Inspectorate all faced questioning over their 2021-22 performance.
Ms Benham asked Stephen Farrow, who had been the acting IBAC commissioner since December, whether he had applied to be appointed permanently to the role.
“I didn’t expect him to say that yes he has applied for it,” Ms Benham said, adding that the government would make the appointment and so this created a “huge conflict of interest”.
Ms Benham’s concerns have been echoed by Opposition legal affairs spokesperson Michael O’Brien, who said the revelation undermined public confidence in IBAC.
“We can’t have a situation where the same government which decides who runs the anti-corruption watchdog is under investigation by one of the applicants for the job.”
Deputy committee chair Kim Wells sought clarity about how Mr Farrow would manage any perceived conflicts of interest.
Mr Farrow was unable to confirm the number of active IBAC investigations, but said policies were in place to “mitigate or manage any actual, potential or perceived conflicts that could arise”.
Meanwhile, departing Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass used the hearing to recommend reforms to IBAC legislation, calling for greater powers to access cabinet documents, and for an independent tribunal to determine the Ombudsman’s budget.
“I am unable to access documents regarding deliberations between ministers,” Ms Glass said.
“An ombudsman should be able to access such documents in those circumstances.”
Ms Benham agreed with Ms Glass’s recommendations.
“If the Act was changed to allow the access to the documents that the Ombudsman needs to be able to conduct her investigations effectively, that would certainly tidy that up,” Ms Benham said.
