Vic ALP rorted the 2014 Victorian election using taxpayer money

[HairyO]

How precisely does it work? Cos both sides of politics agree the issue needs more clarity.

Firstly, if you are hired to do a specific job you do that job. You dont fill out fake invoices which were given to you by a Minister you dont even work for.

Secondly, the specific job has to be related to the politician's job, not working on their re-election campaign.

The grey area is that a lot of what staffers do is loosely related to helping the politician keep their seat. But in the case of the 21 politicians hiring dozens of people they knew full well that the reasons provided behind the hirings had nothing to do with the work they were actually doing.

 

[AM]

Firstly, if you are hired to do a specific job you do that job. You dont fill out fake invoices which were given to you by a Minister you dont even work for.

Secondly, the specific job has to be related to the politician's job, not working on their re-election campaign.

The grey area is that a lot of what staffers do is loosely related to helping the politician keep their seat. But in the case of the 21 politicians hiring dozens of people they knew full well that the reasons provided behind the hirings had nothing to do with the work they were actually doing.

I'm so pleased you aren't a Parliamentary draftsman, Hairy. If you could drive a truck through the existing Parliament of Victoria Members Guide as the Ombudsman intimated then you could drive a truck train through yours.

There's no question Labor attempted to use loopholes in the existing poorly drafted guidelines and stretch them to breaking point and in the process overstepped the mark and is paying a political and monetary price. It's what political parties do in their attempts to prevail. All of them!

Victoria Police investigated the matter and said as they "identified no evidence of any criminal offence, no further action is proposed" And the Ombudsman confirmed no one profited from this ill conceived exercise or that further action was necessary apart from the repayment and tightening loose guidelines. Guidelines that don't make it sufficiently clear where the crossover is between "research and community engagement" and where there was no "clear boundaries on Electoral Officers' support of Members political duties" She went on to say the Members Guide does not even define "party or political activities"

This is in keeping with the Audit Committee Review which also said there was a need to "issue/communicate clearer guidance on what constitutes 'party political' activities".

She also conceded there are "widely differing" interpretations of the key section of the relevant Act and that clearer guidance on what constitutes "party political" activities is needed for the guidelines. And she also acknowledged that inaccurate time recording occurs in many industries.

She's recommended a tightening of the guidelines, improved oversight and greater accountability, which the government has agreed to give effect to as I understand it.

All political parties stretch the boundaries and try to get away with it - in many areas. Don't for a minute think that other parties haven't tried this stuff on. If they were confident they were clean skins they wouldn't have stopped extending the proposed parliamentary inquiry from including them.

 

[Frank Bunn]

When is the Victorian ALP going to repay the $1 million in legal fees that the Andrews government spent in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and High Court trying to block the Victorian Ombudsman from investigating?

And how about repaying the legal costs for the Ombudsman?

 

[pazza]

The only reason this is still going is out of political expediency. There are much bigger issues in this state than whether something happen ed last election.

Here's a little list:

* Infrastructure
* Schools
* Hospitals
* Public Transport
* Roads

 

[Tiges1229]

I'm so pleased you aren't a Parliamentary draftsman, Hairy. If you could drive a truck through the existing Parliament of Victoria Members Guide as the Ombudsman intimated then you could drive a truck train through yours.

There's no question Labor attempted to use loopholes in the existing poorly drafted guidelines and stretch them to breaking point and in the process overstepped the mark and is paying a political and monetary price. It's what political parties do in their attempts to prevail. All of them!

Victoria Police investigated the matter and said as they "identified no evidence of any criminal offence, no further action is proposed" And the Ombudsman confirmed no one profited from this ill conceived exercise or that further action was necessary apart from the repayment and tightening loose guidelines. Guidelines that don't make it sufficiently clear where the crossover is between "research and community engagement" and where there was no "clear boundaries on Electoral Officers' support of Members political duties" She went on to say the Members Guide does not even define "party or political activities"

This is in keeping with the Audit Committee Review which also said there was a need to "issue/communicate clearer guidance on what constitutes 'party political' activities".

She also conceded there are "widely differing" interpretations of the key section of the relevant Act and that clearer guidance on what constitutes "party political" activities is needed for the guidelines. And she also acknowledged that inaccurate time recording occurs in many industries.

She's recommended a tightening of the guidelines, improved oversight and greater accountability, which the government has agreed to give effect to as I understand it.

All political parties stretch the boundaries and try to get away with it - in many areas. Don't for a minute think that other parties haven't tried this stuff on. If they were confident they were clean skins they wouldn't have stopped extending the proposed parliamentary inquiry from including them.

Lol I love it how people think other parties are all clean , hilarious . Matthew Guy cost the tax payer 2 mill + in legal fees as planning minister through his dodgy development deals. All Politicians Rip us the taxpayer off on a daily basis some get caught and some don’t .

 

[HairyO]

The only reason this is still going is out of political expediency. There are much bigger issues in this state than whether something happen ed last election.

Here's a little list:

* Infrastructure
* Schools
* Hospitals
* Public Transport
* Roads

So you can rig an election as long as there is important stuff to do?

 

[Pessimistic]

So you can rig an election as long as there is important stuff to do?

Like to explain how they rigged the election? I think the Libs actually spent more money on it

 

[HairyO]

Like to explain how they rigged the election? I think the Libs actually spent more money on it

I just assume a government can do whatever they want, as long as they have important stuff to do.

Joyce asked another politician to find a job for his girlfriend. That was an outrage to so many here.

Yet 21 jobs were found for people inappropriately and that is fine. Because Labor have to fix schools and hospitals.

I guess Joyce screwed up. He just needed to be building a bridge or something and it would have been okay.

 

[aCunningPlan]

There were a group of people demonstrating outside parliament today in red shirts highlighting the rorts scandal...plot twist...they were electorate staffers from liberal seats doing party work!

 

[Pessimistic]

I just assume a government can do whatever they want, as long as they have important stuff to do.

Joyce asked another politician to find a job for his girlfriend. That was an outrage to so many here.

Yet 21 jobs were found for people inappropriately and that is fine. Because Labor have to fix schools and hospitals.

I guess Joyce screwed up. He just needed to be building a bridge or something and it would have been okay.

Joyce was long overdue. So many pies. Even this episode was sat on for months and months. Horrible man I’m surprised anyone can control the gag reaction to even touch him

 

[Pessimistic]

There were a group of people demonstrating outside parliament today in red shirts highlighting the rorts scandal...plot twist...they were electorate staffers from liberal seats doing party work!

Ah but it was in their spare time?

 

[HairyO]

Joyce was long overdue.

Labor did this back in 2014 and spent a year and a million dollars of taxpayer money trying to weasel out of the investigation.

How is that not long overdue?

 

[aCunningPlan]

Ah but it was in their spare time?

If you want to make a political point, don't muddy the waters.

 

[pazza]

So you can rig an election as long as there is important stuff to do?

Even that is a long bow, suggesting it rigged the election.

You actually think these workers somehow managed to convince the majority of Victorians to vote Labor..as they will do again in November. That's pretty bloody naive.

 

[Frank Bunn]

The only reason this is still going is out of political expediency. There are much bigger issues in this state than whether something happen ed last election.

Here's a little list:

* Infrastructure
* Schools
* Hospitals
* Public Transport
* Roads

And political integrity.

 

[AM]

When is the Victorian ALP going to repay the $1 million in legal fees that the Andrews government spent in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and High Court trying to block the Victorian Ombudsman from investigating?

And how about repaying the legal costs for the Ombudsman?

While on whataboutism. I guess when the Libs do so for the excursion of Brandis. And the developers friend. Bet you're glad you raised that one in the move to whataboutism.

 

[Frank Bunn]

While on whataboutism. I guess when the Libs do so for the excursion of Brandis. And the developers friend. Bet you're glad you raised that one in the move to whataboutism.

$1 million in legal fees that the Andrews government spent in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and High Court trying to block the Victorian Ombudsman from investigating. Similar legal costs for the Ombudsman.

You are defending this?

 

[AM]

$1 million in legal fees that the Andrews government spent in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and High Court trying to block the Victorian Ombudsman from investigating. Similar legal costs for the Ombudsman.

You are defending this?

Did you click on the "Brandis" and "the developers friend" links. Glass houses and all that. Understand your whataboutism as the substantive issue isn't your wheelhouse.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Did you click on the "Brandis" and "the developers friend" links. Glass houses and all that. Understand your whataboutism as the substantive issue isn't your wheelhouse.

Yours is the whataboutism. Answer the questions.

 

[Pessimistic]

No of course not just suggesting it didn’t rort the election result

 

[AM]

Yours is the whataboutism. Answer the questions.

When dodgy Guy and London bound Georgie cough-up. Glass houses.

Have a crack at the substantive issue.

 

[Lebbo73]

When dodgy Guy and London bound Georgie cough-up. Glass houses.

Have a crack at the substantive issue.

But but but

 

[AM]

Why would you expect any better from Kennett, Stephen? You worked for him. You must know here's a look-at-me relic and failed businessman who's concern has always been self promotion. He couldn't give a stuff about those he's deserting for base political motives and headlines. A creep and Murdoch sycophant.

 

[pazza]

Why would you expect any better from Kennett, Stephen? You worked for him. You must know here's a look-at-me relic and failed businessman who's concern has always been self promotion. He couldn't give a stuff about those he's deserting for base political motives and headlines. A creep and Murdoch sycophant.

Love it. Hypocrite is king Jeff.

 

[Benny78]

But but but

Do you think he could rort the 2018 election as well?