[Greens-Media] OPI report shows many lines have been crossed (Pennicuik, Vic)

[Susan.Quinn at parliament.vic.gov.au]

26 October 2011

OPI report shows many lines have been crossed

Victorian Greens Justice and Police spokesperson Sue Pennicuik MLC said 
today’s Office of Police Integrity report "Crossing the Line" shows a 
litany of events involving government employees, MPs and police force 
members that cross the line of independence of government from the police.

"The events detailed in the report came about because of a basic conflict 
of interest caused by seconding a serving police officer as a ministerial 
adviser, answerable to the Minister's staff," Ms Pennicuik said. "In this 
instance, the conflict was compounded by the person being an unsuccessful 
Liberal candidate at the last state election."

"The OPI report makes it clear that the Police Minister’s adviser, Mr 
Weston, was in a fundamentally conflicted position," Ms Pennicuik said. 
"As I said in parliament in June, the role of seconded police officers as 
ministerial advisers is a real concern."

"Both this government and the previous government have seconded serving 
police to act as advisers. The basic question is: is there enough 
separation between the government and the police, as there should be, when 
you have a seconded police person as an adviser?"

"In June I said I hoped that bodies like the OPI and Ombudsman would 
consider how to put in place structures and processes to ensure 
accountability and separation, so that the public can have full confidence 
in the relationship between the government and police."

"I urge the government to heed the OPI’s recommendations regarding arm's 
length police liaison in recognition that a police officer’s first duty is 
to Victoria Police, not to a Minister and not to the Government of the 
day," Ms Pennicuik said. 

"The Director of Police Integrity also pointed out that he has no 
jurisdiction over Ministers or their staffers. No one does. This means 
that while they can be interviewed as witnesses, he cannot investigate 
their conduct further," Ms Pennicuik said. "This is a gap I identified 
when debating the Police Integrity Bill in 2008. I can only assume the 
government will rectify this with the new Independent Broad-based 
Anti-Corruption Commission."

"Today’s report also raises more questions regarding the public campaign 
against and events leading to the resignation of former Police 
Commissioner, Simon Overland", Ms Pennicuik said.

"It is also a concern that the OPI report appears to have been posted on 
the OPI website before it was tabled in parliament."

For further comment: Sue Pennicuik (03) 9530 8399


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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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