The Melbourne Herald Sun is running hard with a story today about the fact that the Victorian government employs four members of Premier John Brumby’s family in taxpayer-financed jobs …
“Mr Brumby’s daughter, a nephew and two sisters-in-law work as electoral officers and inside his office and that of Deputy Premier Rob Hulls …… A Labor source said the practice was widespread across all parties … “Lots of people are doing it”… Mr Brumby’s office responded to inquiries from the Herald Sun by releasing a list of several Liberal and National Party MPs involved in similar practice, but declined to name any Labor MPs who had family employed within government.”
Will this revelation hurt Brumby in a state election year? Maybe. Is it an issue that ranks on the scale of importance with transport, financial management or public safety for voters? No. Should politicians employ family members in taxpayer-funded jobs? No. Are the optics bad? Yes. Should Brumby and the Opposition Liberals introduce new rules to introduce transparency to the employment of politicians’ family members in government-funded jobs? Absolutely. Will they do it? Probably not, unless it becomes a festering issue.
Sometimes, as South Australian Premier Mike Rann is discovering to his great dismay, it’s the nasty little personal matters that create the biggest negative impact. As, in the case of the Premier’s family on the public payroll, they should.
It’s not so much electorate and parliamentary office representative staff like reception or admin that should worry. These positions demand a level of loyalty that suggests family might have sufficient trust.
But whether rational or not, it tends to echo with the widespread understanding say in NSW, probably in Vic, that jobs really requiring meritocracy not unquestioning loyalty are filled by cronyism and nepotism. I can give a small and big example in that order:
Addison Rd Centre in Marrickville was managed by a co author of a former MP for 18 months. No job advertisement. It was an outrageous breach of public hiring ethics.
But get this – no one in Big Media or suburban press were remotely interested in ethical employment policy in the self described “biggest community centre in Australia”. That folks is a beaten society that can’t tell anymore the difference between right and wrong.
Example 2: Recently the SMH ran a series of articles about Justice David Lloyd who gave the decision about “land bribe” developer policy. The Govt could have but didn’t appeal the decision. The controversy this time was that Cabinet had blocked his recommendation to work as a judge in the Supreme Court Equity Division despite the reference of the chief judge. Meanwhile Jerold Cripps also previously of Land & Env Court, then head of ICAC and now Sentencing Commission is batting away govt appointments. John Hatton former MP went on Stateline late last year to say ICAC was a dud for not getting to corruption at ministerial or planning dept level. Let the reader decide. Reality aside, perception in politics is serious enough.
I wonder why the “Current Bun” is running so hard on this story when all politicians do it? If they want to run an anti-Brumby campaign leading up to the election, then I’m sure they can do better than this.
There’s a list – Crikey did it I believe, and it gives the over 100 different instances of nepotism – they do all do it, but that doesn’t make it right! My kids used to use this line to justify their ‘bad’ behaviour/s? Whether it was swearing or being able to have more pocket money etc.
Agree LIZ45, Crikey DID put up a list.
I really would like to see it put up again. It was contributory, with tip-offs from every State.
WHY are we not seeing these family appointments as a regular thing. It IS in the public interest.
The popular thing is for various politicians to employ the relatives of their colleagues and vv.
They seem to think that makes OK.