A Victorian Liberal backbencher has suggested federal MPs Stephen Conroy, Brendan O'Connor and Bill Shorten could have been involved in corruption in a suburban Melbourne council.
Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn used parliamentary privilege in Wednesday's upper house debate to implicate Communications Minister Mr Conroy, Home Affairs Minister Mr O'Connor and Mr Shorten, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, in the Brimbank council scandal.
"There are a number of others who perhaps could be brought out in an investigation by an independent commission," Mr Finn told parliament on Wednesday.
"People like Bill Shorten, a federal member of parliament in that part of the world.
"It's well know that Bill Shorten is a factional head kicker.
"What role did he play? I too have heard rumours about Bill Shorten's role in all this.
"I would like to know if they're true. Without an investigation, without an independent commission, we can't find out."
"The same with a bloke called Stephen Conroy, another bloke ... pulling the strings in Brimbank and we can't find out exactly what he did, what he was up to."
The opposition moved a motion in state parliament on Wednesday in a bid to ramp up the pressure on the government to establish an anti-corruption commission.
The tactic follows last weekend's anti-corruption conference, which saw former NSW premier Nick Greiner, who set up the Independent Commission Against Corruption soon after his Liberal government was elected in 1988, call for a similar body to be established in Victoria.
Mr Finn said an independent crime commission could also investigate whether Mr O'Connor played a role in the Brimbank scandal, as well as several state government ministers.
Government whip Matt Viney said Mr Finn would not be prepared to throw around such allegations without the cover of parliamentary privilege.
"These are not words Mr Finn would be prepared to use on the front steps of the parliament.
"Many of those people have contributed much of their lives to public office."
A spokesman for Mr Shorten, whose Maribyrnong electorate takes in Brimbank, said his name was not mentioned once in the Ombudsman's report into the council, which was released last May.
Comment was also being sought from Senator Conroy and Mr O'Connor.
Labor parliament secretary for regional and rural development, Jaala Pulford, said anti-corruption commissions were costly and not proven to be more effective than existing measures.
"There is a low level of corruption in Victoria," she told parliament.
"Victoria hasn't had the sort of systematic corruption like in states with ICAC (independent commission against corruption)."
Ms Pulford said the existing model of the auditor-general and Ombudsman reporting to parliament worked well.
The opposition motion passed 18 to 16, with support from the Greens and Democratic Labor Party.
Front page
RSS Feed