The Australian Services Union today kicked off its campaign for the abolition of the secretive Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate.

“We are calling this campaign ‘Recover Our Rights’ because the government has taken away our basic rights and we want them back.” said ASU Victorian Authorities and Services branch Secretary Brian Parkinson.

“The Inspectorate’s powers are draconian; it can force people to give evidence; it strips away basic human rights; and can impose massive penalties. Murderers have more rights than council workers and the only way we can recover our rights is if the LGI is abolished.”

The LGI was established in August 2009 in reaction to several Victorian Ombudsman reports into local government. The LGI is staffed by about a dozen Inspectors of Municipal Administration who are granted sweeping powers under sections 223A, 223B and 223C of the Local Government Act. The LGI is led by former police detective, David Wolf.

Neither the functions, nor powers of the LGI and its staff are set out in a dedicated act of parliament. This compares poorly with the Ombudsman, Victoria Police, the Office of Police Integrity and the Auditor-General, all of which are governed by specific legislation.

Since the Inspectorate’s establishment, it has interrogated several people connected to local government – from road maintenance workers to councillors and suburban newspaper journalists – into complying with its investigations into mostly trivial matters, or face up to two years prison and/or $28,000 fines.

“Let there be no mistake, this mob is a threat to the basic rights of anyone connected to local government,” said Parkinson.

Of especial concern is the Inspectorate’s targeting of local government employees, as seen in the City of Greater Geelong steak sandwich debacle.

“We have no argument with prosecuting serious offences against the law, but what the LGI is doing is chasing around trivial matters – these guys make the Keystone Cops look good.

“There is no justifiable reason why local government workers should be discriminated against by having this outfit targeting them. It’s the ABCC for local government workers.

“Council workers are being treated like terrorists. We won’t stand for that and the LGI must go,” said Parkinson.