Premier disappointed by COVID grants cover-up

Key points

• An integrity watchdog has found that senior officials in a Victorian government department covered up the extent of losses from flawed COVID-19 business support payments. The payments, estimated at $257 million, went to about 9000 businesses that were ineligible.
• According to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, the officials withheld information from their managers and created misleading material over an extended period. The commission's Operation Harmonia special report was tabled in parliament on Thursday.
• Commissioner Victoria Elliott said the conduct fell short of expectations of senior public officers.