Secret Funding Cuts Put Premier Ben Carroll’s Integrity Pledge Under Fire

The latest budget cuts to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) have raised questions about Premier Ben Carroll’s commitment to transparency and accountability. A 9.3% cut to OVIC’s budget, which will result in one in ten staff losing their jobs, is part of a broader funding squeeze across the Department of Justice.

Transparency experts point out that these cuts directly challenge Carroll’s promise upon taking the Labor leadership that “integrity is non-negotiable.” The irony is palpable considering OVIC’s crucial role in safeguarding public information and ensuring governments are held to account.

OVIC’s budget for this financial year stands at $7.7 million, a 9.3% cut from what it spent in the previous year and down 24% since 2022-23. The agency has lost over a dozen staff members in four years, despite handling nearly double the number of freedom of information complaints. This reduction in resources will undoubtedly exacerbate an already significant backlog of FOI complaints.

OVIC’s vulnerability to funding cuts stems from its unique position within the Department of Justice. Unlike other integrity agencies like IBAC, OVIC operates under the oversight of the departmental secretary, making it susceptible to budget decisions made by the government. This arrangement has far-reaching implications for transparency and accountability.

The parliament’s integrity and oversight committee (IOC) has called for OVIC to be funded through parliamentary appropriation, ensuring that the agency operates independently of government interference. This move would maintain its ability to fulfill its legislated remit. The recommendation echoes concerns raised by IBAC chief executive Alison Byrne and Ombudsman Marlo Baragwanath earlier this year regarding their own budget allocations.

Transparency International Australia chief executive Clancy Moore said funding cuts to OVIC would reduce government accountability, stating that the reality is these cuts are a blow to the foundations of transparency in Victoria’s government. Premier Carroll must take heed of these warnings and intervene to protect people’s access to information held by government. His integrity pledge hangs precariously in the balance.

Continued budget cuts will only serve as further testament to his government’s lack of commitment to genuine accountability. The coming weeks and months will be crucial in determining whether Carroll’s promise remains empty or if he will take tangible steps towards safeguarding transparency and protecting Victoria’s integrity agencies from erosion.