Victorian ministers have been found to have breached codes in a misuse of public funds to fuel branch stacking, but have avoided criminal charges. 

Two former ministers of the current Victorian Labor government breached parliamentary codes of conduct by misusing public funds to fuel a vast branch-stacking operation, according to the report from an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and Victorian ombudsman investigation.

Public funds in the form of electoral staff were used to perpetuate a system signing up new Labor members linked to the party's moderate faction. The inquiry was focused largely on the conduct of those within moderate Labor (ML), which is led by the former Andrews government minister Adem Somyurek. 

But the probe found there is not enough proof they committed criminal offences to recommend prosecution. IBAC and the ombudsman found that branch stacking is a common and longstanding practice, and there was no evidence of misuse of public funds within other factions. 

“Although other factions were undoubtedly engaging in branch stacking, and this practice has been a scourge for the ALP for many years, the blatant misuse of public resources by the ML faction was extraordinary and shocking,” the report said.
“There is also a weak legislative framework around the employment of electorate officers and the use of electoral allowances.

“Thus, although we consider the conduct to be egregious, the difficulties in proof are such that we cannot recommend prosecution.”

The report made 21 recommendations, including legislating a parliamentary ethics committee, tightening the definition of permissible work for electorate officers and banning MPs from employing close family members in their electorate office.

More details are accessible here.