Rort claims over Labor campaign
LATEST: The Andrews government has denied the ALP rorted parliamentary entitlements by using electoral officers to run last year’s election campaign.
There are calls for an immediate investigation into claims the government misused taxpayer funds.
But Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan told Tom Elliott on 3AW Drive the pooled staff arrangement had been signed off on.
The government says electoral staff have been pooled to support MPs for decades and the party has done nothing wrong.
‘All the arrangements have been in place for the entire time if not a little bit longer than that, both parties on both sides of the government,’ she said.
‘What has taken place is within the rules.’
Listen: Jacinta Allan on 3AW Drive
According to the Herald Sun, three Labor MPs and a senior party figure have spoken out about how the ALP helped fund its army of election campaign staff.
The report claims upper House MPs were told to hire electoral officers who were then diverted to the campaign.
Under parliamentary rules, electoral staff should not be used for political duties.
The paper claims some MPs felt uncomfortable about the use of staff, which were believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told Neil Mitchell the rules were crystal clear and called for an urgent inquiry into the claims.
He said the scandal would engulf the Andrews government and it was a clear breach of the rules.
‘This is many ministers and MPs who have been employing staff knowingly who do not work in their offices but in fact work for Labor’s secretariat.
‘Don’t take my word for it, take the word of three Labor Party MPs, and one of their senior party officers who have acted as whistleblowers in the paper today.
‘This is cut and dry. The rules have been in place for a long time.’
Attorney-General Martin Pakula says while there’s no breach, he won’t speculate on who’s responsible for the leak.
Listen: Matthew Guy calls for full inquiry into misuse of taxpayer funds