The evidence is in. Victoria’s public service has become massively politicised, confirming what many suspected after nine years of Labor under the iron fist of former Premier, Daniel Andrews.

An exhaustive two-year review conducted by the Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, has exposed a ‘culture of fear and secrecy’.

The report is a damning indictment on the premiership of Daniel Andrews (with a focus on his second term in office) and is understood to add context to the timing of his abrupt departure from office in late September when he said, ‘When it’s time, it’s time.’

Andrews also stated on his final day in office, ‘I’m proud to think of all that we have achieved over these nine years.’

Andrews said he wanted to pursue his love of golf and spend more time with his family.

Deborah Glass said, ‘Politicisation can take many forms. It is not just the hiring of people with political affiliations. It is also the closing down or marginalisation of apolitical, independent voices. A culture of fear in the upper echelons of the public service does not support frank and fearless advice.’

The Ombudsman also confirmed that Andrews’ private office was bulging with those answerable only to the Premier. His personal office was equal to the numbers of staff working in the Prime Minister’s office and that of the NSW Premier combined.

Andrews’ office was the largest by a large margin of all other state government leaders. It is not known if numbers have reduced since Premier Jacinta Allan took over in September this year.

The conduct of the previous Premier will not come as a surprise to angry Victorians suffering under huge cost of living pressures and a range of higher taxes specifically to pay for the state’s eye-watering debt created by nine years of Labor.

All major infrastructure projects in Victoria are debt-funded and all are substantially over budget. The auditor general confirmed recently the government has no publicly revealed plan to pay down the debt and no known timetable in which to commence the massive task.

Key recommendations in the Glass Report include:

• The Victorian government and Premier to establish a public service head, to act as employer of department secretaries and administrative office heads.
• Require the premier to consult and obtain approval from a joint House committee chaired by a member of a non-government party before recommending an eligible person be appointed as public service head.
• Establish an independent selection process for the appointment of department secretaries and administrative office heads, to be administered and chaired by the public service head.
• Empower the public service head to participate in selection panels for other public service executive vacancies and review whether actions relating to the employment of public service executives are unfair or contrary to the act.
• Specify grounds upon which the employment of public service executives may be terminated, to preclude ‘at will’ termination.
• Pending amendments to the Public Administration Act, agree to extend the notice period for ‘at will’ termination of employment of public service executives to nine months.

Andrews also said at his farewell news conference the only way he knew to do the job was to allow it ‘to consume him and define him’. He described himself as a true workaholic.

While Andrews’ attempts to join golf clubs that thus far have rejected him – Victorians are left to wonder how their hard-earned taxes could have been so blatantly squandered within this toxic environment.