Victorian Premier John Brumby has denied his government is running a 'dirt unit' to investigate the private affairs of political opponents, but says it's right to scrutinise opposition policy and hold members to account, AAP reports
The government is accused of running a taxpayer-funded dirt unit out of the premier's office to investigate the political, business and in some cases personal interests of Liberal, National and Greens' MPs and candidates.
The Melbourne Age reports that even senior Labor figures refer to the committee as the 'dirt unit', and that it is headed by a Brumby taxpayer-funded strategy adviser, Chris Reilly.
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But Brumby says the claims can't be taken too seriously and it's entirely legitimate for the government to scrutinise the opposition.
But, he says it's never been the case that government operatives have delved into the personal affairs of political opponents.
Shadow Attorney-General Rrobert Clark has called on the premier to immediately shut down the unit, which he says is the ugly face of the Victorian Government.
