During the last state election the Liberal Party promised to establish an independent anti-corruption body in Victoria, modelled on ICAC in NSW. Instead they gave us the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). IBAC can only investigate allegations of corruption where it has evidence that ''a proscribed indictable offence might have been committed''. It is also restricted to only investigating ''serious corrupt conduct''.
Given that serious corrupt conduct is almost always brought to light by investigating allegations of less serious corruption and where evidence of an indictable offence is yet to be obtained, this makes IBAC largely ineffectual. Worse still, IBAC is not permitted to investigate misconduct in public office. This restriction means none of the corruption exposed recently in NSW by ICAC would have been exposed had it occurred in Victoria.
Despite building a new private prison with half a billion dollars it cut from education the Victorian government has no desire to investigate corruption at the top end of town. Meanwhile those at the bottom, beggars, are having their money confiscated by police as part of Victoria's new Proceeds of Crime laws.
I've always believed governments take far too much credit for the economy and not enough responsibility for the society they create. It is by that standard however, that they should be judged, and in this case very harshly.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/proceeds-of-crime-seizure-beggars-beli...