Wednesday, 22 March 2023

Integrity and Oversight Committee

Performance of the Victorian Integrity Agencies 2020/21: Focus on Witness Welfare

Nina TAYLOR (Albert Park) (10:14): I refer to the Integrity and Oversight Committee’s – IOC – Performance of the Victorian Integrity Agencies 2020/21: Focus on Witness Welfare report, noting that the IOC is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the performance of the duties and functions of four of Victoria’s leading integrity agencies: the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission – IBAC, the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, the Victorian Inspectorate and the Victorian Ombudsman. The reason why I am speaking to those elements is that they are vital elements but also noting the delicacy and the nuance and the rigour that are involved in the culmination of these audits, which are vital certainly for the community at large and for respecting the integrity of our Parliament. I should say that the report reviews the performance of the agencies during 2020–21, focusing on their management of the welfare of witnesses and others involved in their investigations, noting that on the one hand, yes, being a witness is, I imagine, an extremely difficult role to play. I mean, we must pay respect to that. It certainly takes courage but also integrity, and there are other pressures on their part to be able to fulfil their role, which is indeed vital to the culmination of reports which can be effective and objectively assess the work of various agencies that we expect to undertake critical work on behalf of the Parliament and for the betterment of all Victorians.

I would at this point also like to thank the Victorian integrity agencies for their participation in the hearings, cooperation throughout the review and important contributions to the Victorian integrity system during 2020 and 2021, because it is very easy to get buried in politicisation of various elements of this, but at the end of the day when you extract it and you come to the core of these processes we note that there is very important work that is undertaken with the purpose of making sure that these agencies function optimally. That is why at the beginning of my discussion I was focusing on the performance of the duties and functions of Victoria’s four leading integrity agencies, so that as a Parliament, without meaning to patronise, we are honouring the fundamental purpose that underpins the culmination of this work and the purpose for which we have these committees and reports is delivered – ultimately to review what has worked and what maybe can be reviewed into the future.

I very much would like to commend all those who have participated in what has culminated in this particular report. I would express my appreciation for the work of the member for Sandringham, a former member for Northern Victoria, the former member for Ringwood, the member for Bayswater, the member for Eltham, the member for Rowville, obviously the respective chairs, because we note, again, the delicacy, the nuance and the respect also for, as I was saying from the outset, the witnesses, who had to show a serious element of courage and fortitude to be able to endure – and I say this broadly, because in any situation, whether it is a court of law or otherwise, it is incumbent upon them to adhere to very stringent processes that require rigour. I would like to, on that note, pay respect to all of those who have contributed to this report.

I think it does highlight just how important it is to ensure that each of those roles is respected but that they also are able to deliver a quality report that helps us to appropriately assess, as a Parliament and into the future, what we are doing well and what we can do differently. I absolutely can see that this report has delivered on that outcome. It is very measured, and I note that all those involved – well, I should speak for those on the government side; I cannot speak more broadly, but I would like to pay respect to all those who have contributed – have approached the report in good faith and have worked extremely hard to make sure that it delivers on the original aims for which it was intended and ultimately to the betterment of all Victorians.