"We’ve given IBAC additional powers and resources,and we’ll continue to work with the commission to ensure it can fulfil its critical statutory duties,"the spokesman said.

However,a number of official sources who were not authorised to speak publicly have confirmed that IBAC scaled down its budget requests after state government warnings that the public sector needed to tighten its budget expectations because of COVID-19.

IBAC is also facing an increased workload as it oversees Victoria's new whistleblower scheme and is set to take on oversight of Victoria Police's informer management program,following the recent Lawyer X royal commission.

On Wednesday,The Agerevealed that Mr Redlich had called on the state government to adequately fund his agency,warning that the failure to do so would undermine the fight against graft and police misconduct. Last week,Ms Glass also attacked the government for failing to fund her agency's investigative program.

Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said the government was under-resourcing IBAC because IBAC was"examining Labor Party corruption". He accused the Premier of misleading the public about the government's support of the anti-graft body.

“I have been very clear that IBAC must be properly funded to do its job,” he said.

Mr Redlich said that even with a fresh $27.2 million four-year funding package announced in the state budget,IBAC would be hamstrung as it sought to tackle more cases of police misconduct and public service graft.

“These increased service levels cannot be delivered,even with IBAC’s recently allocation of funding,” he said.

IBAC has pushed the government for some time for increased funding to investigate more police misconduct and public service corruption. In 2019,the now former special minister of state Gavin Jennings was moving to meet its demands and increase IBAC's capacity,according to sources with knowledge of the issue. Mr Jennings'proposal was not backed by the Premier or Police Minister Lisa Neville.

On Monday,The Age revealed how a confidential IBAC assessment had foundsystemic failings with the police force’s handling of domestic violence cases involving police perpetrators. The underfunding of IBAC was also highlighted in the assessment.

The under-resourcing of IBAC was also at the centre of a 2018 bipartisan parliamentary committee report which called on the agency to be given far greater capacity to investigate serious police misconduct. It’s recommendations have not been acted on by the government.

The agency has taken on several major probes that have embarrassed the Andrews government and the opposition,including theCasey Council corruption scandal. IBAC is also investigating alleged abuse of taxpayer funds arising from theAdem Somyurek Labor branch-stacking affair as part of an inquiry likely to also draw in the Liberal Party.

Mr Redlich did not directly address the politics swirling around the debate about IBAC’s role in Victoria,but made it clear he felt his agency was not fully supported.

“As IBAC’s work over the past seven years,recent royal commissions and other inquiries,as well as the work of other integrity agencies in Victoria and across Australia,have established beyond doubt,corruption is complex and multifaceted and wherever it occurs,adversely impacts everyone.

"Ultimately,it is all members of our community who suffer as corruption erodes trust in the public sector to act in our best interests[and] wastes taxes and rates earmarked for important community projects,resulting in poor-quality services or infrastructure,or we miss out on these vital public services altogether.

"Investment by governments to ensure our integrity agencies are properly resourced to do their work,is necessary and prudent.”