Liberal MP David Davis said ministerial staff were mentioned on 40 occasions in flood review inquiry documents,indicating a high level of involvement in the probe.
“Shing and her office are clearly up to their necks in the details of this inquiry,and she and the relevant ministerial staff should be called to front the flood inquiry to explain their decisions on their inquiry,” he said.
The latest revelations about the emails come just weeks after the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission released the findings of its Operation Daintree report,which found ministerial advisers exertedundue political pressure on public servants to award a lucrative training contract to a union in the lead-up to the 2018 state election.
In that report,a former Andrews government minister described the current government as “very centralised with the PPO[Premier’s Private Office] having its tentacles everywhere”.
Griffith University political analyst Paul Williams toldThe Age that the optics of the Melbourne Water email chain were poor.
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A reasonable person “might easily conclude that it’s inappropriate for an arm’s-length statutory authority to seek out ministerial advice on what could be described as a political matter”,he said.
In February,Wimbushstepped aside as independent lead of the Maribyrnong flood review over a perceived conflict of interest that Melbourne Water repeatedlyignored advice to disclose.
On Tuesday,Andrews questioned Melbourne Water’s decision to name Wimbush as the chair of its inquiry,presenting as proof that the statutory authority acted independently.
“How that appointment got made when the person involved himself had raised these[potential conflict of interest] issues is beyond me. I can’t understand how that happens,” he said.
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“But,again,it speaks to the fact they are an independent agency,and they act independently. They demonstrate that in good decisions and,indeed,in not-so-good decisions.”
Greens deputy leader Ellen Sandell said it was “totally inappropriate” for the minister’s office to be involved in the finalisation of the Melbourne Water statement.
“The way Daniel Andrews and Labor attempt to exert total control over everything – including independent agencies – should be of great concern to anyone who cares about integrity and good governance in Victoria,” she said.
“No one is buying Labor’s attempts to deflect blame.”
A government spokesperson late on Tuesday said no member of the Andrews government or ministerial adviser had interfered with the independence of Melbourne Water’s Maribyrnong River Flood Review.
“Any suggestion to the contrary is simply wrong,” they said.
“While the opposition is playing political games with the flood inquiry,we’re getting on and supporting flood-affected families,businesses and communities all over the state,and awaiting the recommendations of the review and inquiry – looking at ways we can protect Victorians from future flood events.”
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