Call for inquiry into Overland affair

THERE must be a judicial inquiry into the conspiracy against former Victorian police chief Simon Overland, the opposition says.

Don Coulson, who was former premier Ted Baillieu's freedom of information adviser, was sacked last week.

Mr Baillieu resigned earlier this month midway through his first term as premier.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said the community needed to know whether there had been criminal activity in the premier's office.

"This is not a trivial matter, it is not simply a political embarrassment - it is much more than that," he said.

"If it's good enough for Mr Coulson to get the sack then surely it is good enough for us as a community to get some answers."

Mr Andrews said he had no confidence the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) had the power to get the answers the community deserved.

"We need a full independent judicial inquiry into the undermining and what is clearly ... a conspiracy against the former chief commissioner," he said.

The decision to axe Mr Coulson followed the resignation of Mr Baillieu's chief of staff, Tony Nutt.

Mr Baillieu referred "secret tapes" involving Mr Nutt to the IBAC after recorded conversations were released of him offering financial help to disgraced former staffer Tristan Weston.

Mr Nutt says he has done nothing wrong.

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