Neil Mitchell: Why the IBAC corruption inquiry should matter to every Victorian

Neil Mitchell says the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) corruption inquiry investigating whether Victorian Labor MPs misused public funds should matter to every person in the state.

At the opening of the IBAC hearing yesterday, the council assisting said “When corruption occurs in the public sector it hurts all of us. We expect our public officials to behave responsibly and with integrity, and for public resources to be used to benefit the Victorian community.”

Neil Mitchell said those comments “nailed it”.

“This is public money. It’s people supposedly working for us playing grubby political games and it goes to the credibility, the very honesty, of government.

“This matters to you because it matters how they spend your money, it matters whether they run an honest government.

“Let’s say you’re … passionately against alcohol … and you’ve got heaps of money.

“Theoretically, if you play the numbers game, you sign up people as party members who don’t even know they’re signed up, you pay their membership and you use their votes to become the Labor candidate in a safe seat and bang, you’re in Parliament!

“You’ve cheated to get in there but you can then campaign hard as an MP on your loopy policies on alcohol.”

Press PLAY below to hear Neil explain why the allegations should matter to every Victorian

Aged Care Minister Luke Donnellan yesterday became the fourth Victorian Labor minister to stand down over accusations of branch-stacking.

Neil Mitchell says is critical that anyone else involved is exposed.

“What matters now is who was involved and knew what was going on,” Neil Mitchell said.

“It’s a long way to go yet and there will be a lot of blood on the carpet.”

Image (Luke Donnellan): Quinn Rooney/Getty Images