IBAC finds Daniel Andrews approved secret firefighters union deal that breached Victorian government rules

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews agreed to a secret deal with the firefighters union in 2016 that breached government policy and codes of conduct and was kept from the Emergency Services Minister, Jane Garrett, and the Country Fire Authority, according to the state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.

Although the deal was not corrupt, it gave the union’s leader, Peter Marshall, special access that he used to try to influence the selection of the Commissioner of Fire Rescue Victoria, which was created in 2019, and created a “significant risk of corrupt conduct”, the agency reported Thursday morning.

“The government placed itself in a position where Mr Marshall was able to extract concessions from government, gain privileged access to ministers and exert extraordinary influence over government under the threat of industrial action and public exposure of the undisclosed deal,” IBAC said.

“IBAC found conduct that enabled the politicisation of public appointment processes, undermined the effectiveness of accountability frameworks that exist to maintain the integrity of government processes and increased the risk of improper influence.”

Victorians have been waiting more than five years for publication of the report on what was called Operation Richmond, which was set up to investigate allegations of blackmail within the government led by Mr Andrews, who retired from politics in 2023.

The investigation found no evidence of blackmail, but concluded a “back-room deal” with Mr Marshall was authorised by Mr Andrews and negotiated by the then-Special Minister of State Mr Gavin Jennings with assistance from the then-Deputy Secretary at the Department of Premier and Cabinet Mr Tony Bates.

IBAC Commissioner Victoria Elliott said that while Operation Richmond did not find corrupt conduct, which must be a criminal offence under IBAC’s legislation, it did find serious and concerning conduct and exposed a series of enduring corruption risks that jeopardise the integrity of government processes.

She said Operation Richmond “conduct contrary to policy, procedure and codes of conduct, such as the misuse of information and deliberate attempts to conceal and mislead, highlighting the need for the government to take decisive action to embed strong standards of conduct across the government.”

Mr Marshall complained that union officials had been pursued by IBAC and subjected to a politically motivated attack. “We condemn the IBAC report as a waste of money,” he said in a video message.