Victorian premier pledges reforms after Operation Watts finds public funds ‘misused’ and codes breached
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says he takes ‘full responsibility’ for the ‘shocking’ Ibac findings.Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says he takes ‘full responsibility’ for the ‘shocking’ Ibac findings.The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, says he takes full responsibility for the “disgraceful” conduct uncovered in a, as he apologised to the public and vowed to implement sweeping reform.
“As leader of the parliamentary Labor party and the premier of our state, I take full responsibility for all of that conduct. That’s what the top job is all about and I apologise for it,” he said.Andrews said the government had accepted all 21 recommendations in the report and would “go further” by introducing legislation to restrict political parties in the state from receiving public funding unless they meet a set of criteria designed to stamp out corrupt behaviour.
Victoria’s opposition seized on the findings of the report, with the opposition leader, Matthew Guy, claiming the Andrews government was “mired in corruption, cover-ups, and political games at the expense of Victorians” and hence unfit to govern the state. Somyurek said on Wednesday he was “liberated” after the investigation stopped short of concluding he had committed criminal offences.