Canberra lobbying must be reined in. Here’s how we can protect our democracy

Summary The Centre for Public Integrity, in a recent study, highlighted how the Australian federal lobbying practices and regulations have been subverted, resulting in secrecy, corruption, and unfair access and influence. The past few decades have seen the Australian government’s climate change policy heavily influenced by fossil fuel lobbyists, an epitome of the OECD’s “policy… Read More

Editorial: The lobbyist prime minister

Summary: Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s anticipated move from politics to lobbying exemplifies a concerning trend in Australian politics, where public officials transition to roles representing corporate interests. Morrison’s reported upcoming role with a British defense company, following his significant push for increased military spending, illustrates his focus on personal gain over national interest. These… Read More

Lobbyists rail against ‘unfair’ federal reforms

Summary: The Australian Professional Government Relations Association (APGRA), which represents lobbyists, has rejected calls from the Centre for Public Integrity, Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank, to legislate the federal lobbyists’ code. The Centre’s report, “Closing the revolving door,” advocates for stronger regulations to curb corruption, improve transparency, and enhance integrity in Australia’s lobbying industry. Key… Read More

Scott Morrison’s reported links to UK defence job shows lobbying reforms needed, integrity experts say

Summary: Scott Morrison’s reported discussions for a UK defence industry role have brought Australia’s pressing need for lobbying reforms into sharp focus. As integrity experts and organizations like the Centre for Public Integrity have stressed, such transitions raise concerns about potential corruption and the abuse of insider knowledge gained while in government. Existing codes require… Read More

Media release – Big corporate donors use former Ministers and advisers as lobbyists

Big corporate donors are using the revolving door to gain access to government, according to new research by the Centre for Public Integrity. The research finds that many lobbyists working for big corporate donors are doing so within the first year of leaving government, due to weaknesses in the lobbying code of conduct. Analysing the… Read More

Daniel Andrews’ dismissal of IBAC ‘awful, offensive’, says former judge

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been heavily criticised by Stephen Charles KC, retired Court of Appeal judge and board member of the Centre for Public Integrity, Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank, for his response to findings of misconduct in his government. Andrews dismissed the findings, which revealed improper influence and misconduct in the awarding of… Read More

Pork-barrelling should be banned under ministerial code: ex-ICAC boss

Summary: Call for Pork-Barrelling Ban in Federal Ministerial Code of Conduct Peter Hall, former chief of the NSW corruption watchdog, advocates for a ban on pork-barrelling in the federal Ministerial Code of Conduct, arguing that it can equate to criminal conduct when public funds are allocated for party-political gain. This push is part of the… Read More

Media Release – “Time to act on pork barrelling” Former ICAC Commissioner

The former Chief Commissioner of NSW ICAC, the Hon Peter Hall KC, has today called for action to strengthen the administration of Commonwealth grants. Speaking as the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit holds inquiry hearings into Commonwealth grants administration, Mr Hall has advocated that pork barrelling be included in the Ministerial Code of… Read More

MP pushes for new laws to end ‘jobs for mates’ culture

Summary Independent MP Sophie Scamps is advocating for a more transparent and impartial process for major government-appointed jobs in Australia. In her first private member’s bill, she plans to propose the establishment of a public appointments commissioner to mediate an independent recruitment process, preventing governments from gifting lucrative positions to political allies. This proposal, drafted… Read More

Media release – $91 million of election funding hidden from public view

The source of $91.32 million, or 22.74%, of party income was hidden from public view in 2021-2022.

This is an increase of 33% from the $68.26 recorded in the previous year.

The total dark money since 1998/99 is $1.53 billion.

The Coalition has hidden the source of 36.41% of their party income since 1998, while the ALP has hidden 24.61% Read More

Media release – Top 10 donors contribute 76.9% of all donations in 2022

The latest AEC disclosures show that big donors continue to dominate the funding of parties, and campaign spending remains at record levels. From 1998-2021 the top 5% of donors funded 76.4% of all donations. In 2022 the top 10 individual donors contributed $137.5 million to parties and independents which equates to 76.9% of all donations… Read More

Media release – Joint statement on the National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill 2022

As the NACC Bill returns to Parliament today, the country’s leading integrity organisations and experts are making a united call for the elimination of the ‘exceptional circumstances’ threshold for public hearings. The Centre for Public Integrity, Transparency International Australia, the Human Rights Law Centre, the Accountability Roundtable, the Ethics Centre, the Governance Institute and the… Read More

Media release: Campaign spending has increased by 144%, spending caps now urgent

Electoral expenditure by political parties has increased 144% in 20 years, according to new research by the Centre for Public Integrity. Analysis of total payments disclosed by parties to the Australian Electoral Commission, with adjustments made for routine expenses and inflation, show that election year spending by Australian political parties increased 144% from approximately $124… Read More

Media release – Public hearings lead to corruption findings

All public hearings by NSW ICAC in the last 10 years have made findings of corrupt conduct or wrongdoing, according to new research by the Centre for Public Integrity. Analysis of annual reports and investigation reports by NSW ICAC show that the claims of reputational damage are overstated, and that public hearingsexpose corruption. The analysis… Read More

Media Release – Corruption experts welcome corruption commission

Press conference 1.30pm at the Mural Hall with Stephen Charles AO KC, Michael Barker KC and Geoffrey Watson SC. The Centre for Public Integrity today welcomed the tabling of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill (2022). The experts’ analysis of the bill found that it contains strong investigative powers and a broad jurisdiction, and is able… Read More

Media bite – ‘Any person’ could be probed by new corruption watchdog: Dreyfus

The Centre for Public Integrity’s chair, Anthony Whealy, has welcomed the government’s move to give the federal corruption watchdog the power to investigate anyone trying to induce public officials to engage in dishonest conduct, widening its scope to capture “third parties” in an effort to improve integrity in government. However, experts say the commission should… Read More

Crossbench concerns over narrow scope of national anti-corruption body

Days out from the likely release of the federal government’s anti-corruption bill, some key crossbenchers are raising concerns it might not be given the level of power they are looking for. Federal parliament will resume next week after a fortnight’s delay due to the death of the Queen, and the government will use the sitting… Read More

‘Unresolved’: Crossbenchers declare sticking points with Labor’s corruption watchdog

Crossbench MPs have declared there are still major sticking points with the federal government’s proposal for a national corruption watchdog as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tries to avoid breaking a key election promise to legislate the body by the end of the year. The crossbench MPs are worried Labor’s integrity commission will not be broad… Read More

Why Star will stay open despite Bell Review findings

The NSW government and the state’s gaming watchdog have little choice but to let Star Entertainment keep its Pyrmont casino open, corporate governance experts say, despite an inquiry hearing evidence of widespread failures at the group. Speaking ahead of the likely release of the Bell Review into Star on Tuesday, some experts believed there may… Read More

Albanese pushed to pass ‘urgent’ integrity reforms after Queen’s death delays

Independent MPs are urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to honour his election pledge to pass laws this year to create a national integrity commission amid growing fears he will miss the deadline and deliver a weaker watchdog than they want. Concern at the delay has spread among crossbench MPs after the government suspended Parliament to… Read More

‘Transparency has been killed by obstruction’ as officials flout FOI rules

Federal officials are flouting their own rules by rejecting fair requests to release documents and disclose the reasons for sweeping decisions, sparking a new warning about a “culture of secrecy” in politics and government. The decisions have created a “clogged and slow” system that drags out many of the 35,000 requests from Australians under the… Read More

Media release: FOI delays double in 10 years

FOI delays outside the statutory 30-day period have doubled in the past 10 years, according to new research by the Centre for Public Integrity. As well as systemic delays, the research finds that FOI refusals have increased 50%, while requests granted in full have fallen 30%. The research finds: Bret Walker SC, one of the… Read More

IBAC committee brawls amid claims of ‘interference’ from Andrews’ office

The group of state MPs who oversee Victoria’s corruption watchdog have turned on each other amid claims Premier Daniel Andrews’ office directed a politically charged statement that took a swipe at the agency. Veteran Liberal MP and former treasurer Kim Wells has accused Andrews’ office of “direct political interference” into the Integrity and Oversight Committee,… Read More

Law Society of SA calls for ICAC review over concerns rushed legislation fails the pub test

South Australian lawyers say “hurried” anti-corruption laws allow public officials convicted of certain crimes to charge taxpayers for their legal fees, and parliament’s handling of the laws “fails the pub test”. Last week, an ABC exclusive report outlined the implications of a little-understood change to the state’s Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Act. The legislation… Read More

Victorian government under pressure from Greens, opposition to speed up integrity reforms

The Victorian government is under pressure to speed up promised integrity reforms, following a scathing report detailing “extensive” misconduct by its MPs. The Operation Watts investigation — a joint probe between the state’s ombudsman and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) — uncovered rampant nepotism and the widespread misuse of public resources within the Victorian… Read More

The real question: will federal integrity body probe Labor?

The Albanese government heads into its first parliamentary session next week promising to deliver its election promises. This is laudable. The devil will be in the detail. And devil is the right word when it comes to the details of the promised integrity commission. There is a blindingly obvious rot at the centre of the… Read More

Calls for probe into Tasmanian political grants, amid revelation club where Liberal family member is treasurer wins $50k

An integrity expert has called for an independent inquiry into the Tasmanian Liberal Party’s use of a controversial grants fund during the 2021 election campaign, arguing millions of dollars of taxpayer money may have been misappropriated. The Liberals established the Local Communities Facilities Fund as an election promise, and a “Liberal Party Policy team” internally… Read More

Stronger safeguards around lobbying are a must

In any democracy, lobbying is a vital component of the political process, ensuring that varied interest groups can make their case on specific issues to elected officials. It is a source of reforms to policy, from neighbourhood planning to our response to global issues such as climate change.
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Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus orders Commonwealth to drop charges against lawyer Bernard Collaery

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has ordered the Commonwealth to drop the prosecution of lawyer Bernard Collaery, four years after he was charged with conspiring to release classified information about an alleged spying operation in East Timor. Mr Collaery was charged in 2018 for allegedly helping his client, an ex-spy known only as Witness K, to reveal… Read More

Albanese bans blind trusts and shares for ministers, keeps ‘bonk ban’

Federal government ministers have been told to sell off shareholdings and divest from blind trust arrangements under a tough new code of conduct implemented by Anthony Albanese. Maintaining a ban on sex between ministers and their staff, the Prime Minister said frontbenchers would be held personally responsible for managing their private financial affairs and could… Read More

A life dedicated to the law and justice, without fear or favour

This interview with our committee member Nicholas Cowdrey AO QC by Peter Fitzsimmons was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on July 3 2022. Nicholas Richard Cowdery AO, QC, is the longest-serving director of public prosecutions in Australian history, having served in the role for NSW from 1994-2011. I talked to him on Friday morning.… Read More

Voters care about integrity – the Andrews government should pay heed

The message could not have been clearer at the last federal election. Voters do not see integrity, transparency and the misuse of public funds for political purposes as esoteric topics for think tank discussion groups, but fundamental issues that go to the heart of good government.
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Siblings’ planning ties highlight flaws in lobbying laws

Lobbying is an undeniable reality of government decision-making in Australia, and the OECD has recognised that it can make a valuable contribution to the democratic process. It also cautions, however, that lobbying can lead to “undue influence, unfair competition and regulatory capture to the detriment of the public”.
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