The Centre for Public Integrity conducts research into protecting the integrity of accountability institutions.

Accountability institutions are crucial to holding government to account and building confidence in our system of government. Attacks on these institutions have led to a compromised system of integrity. Secure and sufficient funding, permanent tenure of senior officials, and independent non-partisan appointments are among the reforms necessary to restoring confidence in our system.

You can read some of our latest research on accountability institutions below:

 

 

Transparent and Quality Public Appointments Bill 2023 (Cth)

March 6, 2023

Ending Jobs for Mates needs to be a priority for this Government. For too long appointments to highly paid and powerful positions have relied upon who someone knows rather than suitability for the role.

ACHIEVING INTEGRITY

November 10, 2022

The Centre for Public Integrity has determined a FIVE step roadmap to improve integrity in Victoria.

A Farewell to Arms Part 2: Designing an effective Commonwealth expenditure cap regime

October 22, 2022

There are no limits on candidate, party, or third-party expenditure for Commonwealth elections. Expenditure caps make elections more fair, competitive, and open; they also direct our elected representatives’ focus to their constituencies and portfolios rather than to raise funds from donors with ulterior motives. Caps on third-party electoral expenditure, when designed appropriately, are an important way of preventing the undue and inordinate influence of monied interests on discourse and, ultimately, on public policy.

Delay and Decay: Australia’s Freedom of Information Crisis

September 8, 2022

Australia’s FOI regime continues to be undermined in practice by inordinate delay, under resourcing and the
abuse of statutory exceptions. In light of these problems, the Centre for Public Integrity
recommends:

Public Appointments Framework

June 1, 2022

Stacking boards, gifting jobs to political allies, stacking the AAT can all be halted if the Government introduces an independent, merit based process.

Integrity inadequacies: Victoria

March 1, 2022

The strength of the frameworks in place to promote public integrity. This paper identifies the inadequacies of Victoria’s framework.

Protecting the integrity of accountability institutions

May 13, 2021

To minimise the risk of politicisation of accountability institutions, the Centre recommends that funding be determined by an Independent Funding Tribunal

Budget 2020-21 in focus

October 13, 2020

The Centre for Public Integrity considers it to be a matter of grave concern that the resourcing of the Auditor-General is being reduced

Accountability Deficit: the $1.4 billion funding cut of accountability institutions

October 13, 2020

An analysis of budget data from the past decade shows the funding of accountability organisations has fallen dramatically.

Protecting the integrity of accountability institutions

October 13, 2019

Australia’s democracy rests on the principles that the people are sovereign and power is exercised under the rule of law.

Members of the Accountability Institutions research committee are:

 

  • The Hon Paul Stein AM QC, former judge of NSW Court Appeal
  • Bret Walker SC, barrister, former Independent National Security Legislation Monitor
  • Geoffrey Watson SC, barrister, former counsel assisting NSW ICAC and Police Integrity Commissioner
  • Richard Beasley SC, barrister
  • Quentin Dempster, journalist