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AAP
AAP
Politics
Callum Godde

Liberals off the hook for cow poo conspiracy

Bev McArthur was accused of being involved in the poo package conspiracy. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

There will be no repercussions for state Liberal MPs caught up in a cow poo controversy inside parliament house on budget day.

A farmer delivered the gift wrapped poo package to Premier Jacinta Allan's office inside Victorian parliament house in May during a protest outside parliament against an emergency services levy.

A note scrawled on the vacuum-sealed brown box dung delivery read: "Dearest Jacinta, I have considered your levy and here's my feedback, it's bullshit. Love Brutus + family".

Cow manure wrapped up was left at Premier Jacinta Allan's office
The poo pack was vacuum sealed in a brown paper box tied up with pink string. (PR IMAGE PHOTO)

Liberal MPs Bev McArthur and Nicole Werner were referred to the Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Commission over the incident.

Ms McArthur was accused of bringing the package into the area, while Ms Werner was alleged to have facilitated the prank.

Ms Allan said the stunt made staff feel unsafe in their workplace but Opposition Leader Brad Battin accused her of overblowing the incident.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan
Jacinta Allan didn't appreciate the smelly stunt. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

The pair co-operated fully with the body's investigation before it became aware of a "technical issue", a report tabled in parliament on Wednesday said.

Investigation request notices were approved by a commissioner but issued by commission staff, leading to it deciding not to consider the evidence collected through the original notices.

Repeating interviews and evidence collection would not have been "proportionate to the nature of the alleged conduct", potentially impacting the subjects and prolonging the probe, the commission concluded.

"Based on the assessable evidence, the commission makes no finding of parliamentary misconduct in relation to this matter," it said.

Ms McArthur and Ms Werner indicated to the commission, led by David Wolf and Natasha de Silva, their "preference" was for the report to be released.

The expanded levy was expected to raise an extra $2.1 billion over the next three years to cover extra emergency service agencies in the face of more frequent and intense natural disasters.

But the Victorian government granted farmers a 12-month reprieve from the tax hike after months of backlash, lessening the take for forecast take for 2025/26.

Mr Battin has pledged to scrap the expanded levy if the coalition wins government at the next state election in November 2026.

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