- Published:
- Thursday 26 May 2016
Legislation implementing the Andrews Labor Government’s commitments to strengthen Victoria’s integrity and accountability system has passed the Victorian Parliament.
The Integrity and Accountability Legislation Amendment (A Stronger System) Bill ensures that IBAC, the Auditor-General and the Ombudsman can effectively oversee Victoria’s public sector and hold it to the highest standards of conduct.
The Bill delivers the Labor Government’s election commitments by:
- Giving the Auditor General ‘follow the dollar’ powers when it audits public spending on government projects and services;
- Streamlining access to the Victorian Ombudsman’s services; and
- Allowing IBAC to investigate the common law offence of misconduct in public office.
The Bill also gives IBAC the power to conduct preliminary inquiries and makes changes to ensure that IBAC, the Ombudsman and the Auditor-General and other integrity and accountability bodies can work together more effectively.
The Bill is the first stage of the government's review of the integrity and accountability system. To inform the next stage of its review, the government is currently seeking public feedback on discussion papers which explore the role and functions of IBAC, the Ombudsman and the Auditor-General.
The Labor Government is also committed to reforming the Freedom of Information (FOI) system, with the establishment of a new Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) and improved response times for FOI inquiries. A Bill to enact these changes will be introduced into Parliament shortly.
Quotes attributable to Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings
“We are delivering the modern integrity regime we promised the Victorian people, which will ensure the public sector retains the highest standards of conduct.”
“Our reforms give IBAC the powers it needs to investigate corruption and ensure the Auditor-General can more effectively undertake robust audits of how public money is spent with vital ‘follow the dollar’ powers.”