Former Victorian officials linked to $260m COVID grant scandal now lead NDIA

Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission released a damning assessment that three senior public servants from the former Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions concealed or altered data showing almost $260 million was paid to roughly 9,000 businesses that should not have qualified for COVID-19 support. The deputy secretary allegedly ordered the removal of the figure after consulting the associate secretary, and both failed to inform department secretary Simon Phemister, preventing the loss from reaching the minister.

IBAC’s analysis estimates $108 million went to businesses inactive six months before the pandemic, with only $8 million repaid so far. Despite the adverse findings, the associate secretary and deputy secretary have been placed in top management positions at the National Disability Insurance Agency, which administers the $50 billion scheme for 782,000 Australians. The NDIA declined to say whether it will act on the watchdog’s conclusions, prompting criticism from People with Disability Australia and Transparency International Australia. The department has since reviewed all pandemic grants, writing off $72.5 million it could not recover.