By Michael Fowler, originally published in the Age, 23rd June 2021. The Victorian government avoided scrutiny on its wide-reaching state of emergency powers last year through a technicality, an independent group of lawyers has found. As the Andrews government privately negotiates specific pandemic laws to permanently replace the state of emergency when it expires in… Read More
Victorian Government avoiding scrutiny of COVID response
Media release 23rd June 2021. The Victorian Government is avoiding scrutiny of its COVID response, according to new research from the Centre for Public Integrity. The research finds: The COVID response has seen excessive power placed in the hands of individual Ministers and the Chief Health Officer; These powers have been exercised by public health… Read More
Going gangbusters on crime while integrity watchdog goes missing
Centre for Public Integrity Research Director Dr Catherine Williams for the Sydney Morning Herald June 10 2021 The Prime Minister had cause to celebrate on Tuesday when he joined AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw in announcing the success of Operation Ironside. He used the opportunity to call for stronger powers to combat organised crime and claimed that… Read More
Stakeholders in consensus on CIC – not fit for purpose
Media release The Government is the only major supporter of its CIC bill, Analysis of major stakeholder’s submissions to the draft CIC bill show that there is virtually unanimous opposition to the CIC’s jurisdiction and powers. The Centre for Public Integrity analysed 18 organisation’s submissions and found that: No organisation supports the CIC’s split into… Read More
Independent Funding Tribunal required to stop political cuts to accountability institutions
Media release An Independent Funding Tribunal is required to ensure accountability institutions budgets remain safe from political meddling, according to new research from the Centre for Public Integrity. The Tribunal would follow the model set by the Remuneration Tribunal, including with the powers to inquire into and determine appropriate funding levels. The Centre’s research sets… Read More
Commonwealth Integrity Commission has ‘serious deficiencies’: Judges, police and lawyers
By David Crowe, originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald 25th May 2021. A federal pledge to crack down on corruption is struggling to gain support from police and legal experts who believe the draft plan is too weak to catch politicians and public servants who break the law. Corruption experts are urging the government… Read More
Zero, zlich, nada: the saddest number in the budget was the ‘0’ for government integrity
By Anthony Whealy, originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 19th May 2021. The budget is now well and truly out and about. At face value, it looks attractive and is likely to succeed as a political lever to the government’s continuation in power: childcare, aged care, women’s protections. The overall theme, “recovery budget”,… Read More
Federal anti-corruption body won’t be operational before next election, budget papers reveal
By Christopher Knaus, originally published in the Guardian 12th May 2021. The Coalition is not planning for its anti-corruption commission to be up and running prior to the next election, the budget papers reveal, prompting allegations it has “no real intention of acting on corruption”. The Commonwealth Integrity Commission model has been beset by delay… Read More
Government’s broken promise on integrity commission
Media release 12 May 2021 Corruption experts have raised concern over the Government’s broken promise to establish an integrity commission before the next election. The 2021-22 Federal Budget provides zero funding and zero staff for the Commonwealth Integrity Commission, despite being announced 2.5 years ago. “Australia urgently needs a National Integrity Commission. The Government has… Read More
Mates getting plum government jobs? There must be an election coming up
By Jenna Price, originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald 4th May 2021. Seriously, this is the worst. In the last five months, 13 former Liberal MPs and political staffers have been appointed to federal government jobs. Don’t imagine it’s a burst of recent activity though. By 2019, the Liberal government had managed to appoint… Read More