2020-04-15
The Andrews Government has announced that it will task the existing Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) with scrutinising its COVID-19 response, following pressure from the Greens and the majority of the crossbench to allow Parliament to continue its work.
However, this committee option chooses expedience over genuine oversight. The majority of PAEC’s membership is composed of government members including the chair.
To achieve effective and meaningful oversight, this work should be done instead by a cross-party committee with a non-government chair similar to those established federally here in Australia and in New Zealand.
Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam, said it was good that the Government was open to some level of scrutiny during the pandemic, but that the current proposal falls short of effective oversight.
Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC:
“The Andrews Government should not be immune from scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Parliament should be sitting regularly and in a safe way, but in the absence of regular parliamentary sitting an effective scrutiny committee is essential.
“While the proposed PAEC committee is an acknowledgement that their response should warrant oversight, the Andrews’ Government seems even less open to scrutiny than Scott Morrison with the model they have opted for.
“The Government should consider establishing a separate cross-party committee chaired by a non-Government member to ensure adequate oversight of its COVID-19 response.”