After a stinging rebuke over the misuse of $388,000 in public funds to help bankroll its last election campaign, the Victorian Labor government insists it's trustworthy and has changed its ways.
Twenty-one past and present Labor MPs were on Wednesday named as breaching parliamentary guidelines by wrongly signing time sheets for electorate officers-turned campaign staff in other electorates during the 2014 campaign.
A damning report, released by Ombudsman Deborah Glass, was a slap down for the government that had continuously denied any wrongdoing, eight months out from the next election.
Premier Daniel Andrews apologised for the scheme, said Labor had paid back all of the $388,000,
but added no one would lose their job.The government has vowed to implement all six of the Ombudsman's recommendations, which call for limiting electorate officer duties, better training on the rules, and creating a clear investigative capacity for allegations of entitlement misuse.
It's the fourth entitlements scandal to rock the first-term government, following a minister getting his dogs chauffeured, two metropolitan MPs claiming a residential allowance designed to help country politicians and another accused of faking printing invoices to fund branch-stacking.
Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings said Victorians can trust the government because all the money has been paid back.
"If you look at the integrity measures we've already introduced into the parliament, far more rigorous than the regime we inherited," he told reporters.
"We'll continue on that journey to the election."
But the opposition says MPs must be sacked.
"Those who have rorted the system must go," Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told reporters.
how does anyone know it was paid back.. do we get to see the cheque????>>.
I mean who can believe this...
this is the first term
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