Under the Albanese administration, compliance has fallen to a mere 20.4%, compared to the 92% rate recorded in 1993-96, and 48.7% Read More
Albanese ’worse than Morrison’ on secrecy, says integrity body
The Albanese government has been marked as more secretive than its predecessor, the Morrison government, by frequently using “public interest immunity” claims to keep documents confidential, Read More
‘Beyond the realms of acceptable spin’: Integrity experts slam Andrews for downplaying IBAC report
Integrity experts have criticised Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for misrepresenting the findings of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Read More
Premier Daniel Andrews under pressure to act on ‘grey corruption’ after IBAC report
Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank, the Centre for Public Integrity, has joined the call for quick action following a report on “grey corruption” in Victorian politics. Read More
Former Ibac head could face integrity committee after making allegations against Victorian MPs
Robert Redlich, former head of Victoria’s (IBAC), may be required to provide evidence before a revamped integrity and oversight committee 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
Teals set to fight Canberra’s ‘jobs for mates’ culture
The private member’s bill aims to ensure more transparency and integrity in the selection process for roles in key government bodies such as the National Anti-Corruption Commission and AEC 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 – 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 – 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 Release – Public hearings crucial to investigating corruption
“Exceptional circumstances” is too high a threshold for the new National Anti-corruption Commission to begin public hearings and will lead to corruption being hidden behind closed doors, 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
‘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
Trump’s lesson for us: lies can’t be allowed to flourish
Truth is fundamental to democracy. When citizens cannot tell fact from fiction and leaders spread falsehoods for political advantage, society as a whole is damaged. Read More
Bernard Collaery: The spy case that ignited an Australian secrecy row
For a decade, Bernard Collaery has been at the centre of an extraordinary legal saga in Australia. Read More
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
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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The minister and the lobbyist: Blandthorn siblings face conflict questions
Premier Daniel Andrews’ appointment of new Planning Minister Lizzie Blandthorn has raised conflict-of-interest questions due to her lobbyist brother representing major development, construction and infrastructure clients. In an appointment that has unsettled some senior government and Labor insiders, the premier named Pascoe Vale MP Blandthorn to the sensitive planning role. Her brother, John-Paul Blandthorn, heads… Read More
Media release – Public Appointments Framework – Guaranteeing merit and independence
Corruption experts call for new Public Appointments Framework in wake of AAT stacking Read More
Liberal MP was ‘patron’ of Queensland gun club for which he claimed to have ‘secured’ $20,000 grant
Ross Vasta says he had ‘no decision-making power over the process or the outcome’ in grant to Belmont Branch of the Sporting Shooters Association A Liberal MP said that he “secured” a $20,000 grant for a gun club which lists him as its patron, raising questions about whether he should have disclosed his links to… Read More
Media release – Sharpening the watchdogs teeth
urrently, however, the ability of the IBAC to fulfil its mandated functions is hampered by undue limitations on both its jurisdiction and the use of its investigative powers. I Read More
SA government denies pork-barrelling accusations on sports grants, amid broader national discussion over the practice
Written by Rory McClaren. Originally published by the ABC on June 26 2022. In politics, making good on election commitments should be thought of as core business. But how those promises are created, then delivered, in government can be a minefield for politicians of all political persuasions. From commuter cark parks by the Federal Coalition… Read More
John Barilaro’s New York trade job may be completely above board, but it needs scrutiny
all these questions may be answered in favour of the Barilaro appointment. However from the integrity perspective, they need to be addressed and answered with the utmost openness clarity and transparency. Read More
31 former judges call for the establishment of a National Integrity Commission
Media release embargo 6am 18th May 2022 31 former judges have signed an open letter calling on political leaders to establish a National Integrity Commission. Signatories include former judge of the High Court Mary Gaudron QC, former Chief Justice of Queensland Catherine Holmes AC QC, and former Federal Court judge Michael Barker QC. The letter states: “Despite… Read More
Scott Morrison’s anti-ICAC argument ignores vast sums of federal spending – and risk of corruption
Centre for Public Integrity research director Dr Catherine Williams says she has seen no evidence to suggest that corruption differs between a state and federal level. Read More
Labor integrity commission to investigate allegations from a ‘long time ago’
Labor expects its proposed national integrity commission will examine alleged misconduct from as far back as 15 years, with both former and current politicians eligible to be investigated under a broad definition of corruption. Unlike the Coalition, Labor has promised to create an integrity body with retrospective powers, meaning it could examine decisions taken before… Read More
Ibac frenzy exposes a wide divide between Victorian and federal Liberals
More public hearings would undeniably stop speculation from running wild. How that balance can be achieved is a matter that Liberals must grapple with at both the state and federal levels. Read More
‘Scary’: Federal integrity body becomes an issue in battle for Brisbane
Queensland Liberal MP Trevor Evans has warned the crowd at a candidates’ forum in his marginal inner-Brisbane seat about the “scary” outcomes experienced by some of those investigated by state anti-corruption bodies. And despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s refusal to commit to setting up such an agency if the Coalition is returned to government after… Read More
When will there be a federal ICAC or anti-corruption commission? What are the parties promising?
Barnaby Joyce does not think many Australians will actually care that a national anti-corruption watchdog is still a pipedream when they cast their vote. The Deputy Prime Minister’s latest comments on why the Coalition has walked away from its 2019 election pledge to establish a Commonwealth integrity commission show the political calculation made in the… Read More
‘Public hearings expose corruption’: legal experts back federal ICAC as Scott Morrison ditches promise
Integrity experts have backed a public model of a federal corruption watchdog as the prime minister ditches his promise to establish one. Scott Morrison said a federal watchdog hosting public hearings would become a “kangaroo court” that would tarnish people’s reputations. But top silks say a federal model would be ineffective without public examinations with… Read More
Morrison walks from federal integrity commission, blames Labor
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has abandoned his 2019 election promise to establish a federal integrity commission, blaming Labor for not supporting the government’s model, as Opposition leader Anthony Albanese accused him of wanting to shield his ministers from corruption probes. Morrison sought to pin the blame on the Opposition for the failed commitment, saying his… Read More
MPs contradict Morrison on federal ICAC
Written by Finbarr O’Mallon on April 15 2022. Originally published in the Northern Beaches Review. Government frontbenchers have tried to walk back the prime minister’s lack of commitment to establishing a federal corruption watchdog if he wins next month’s election. Scott Morrison this week backflipped on a 2019 election promise to establish a federal anti-corruption… Read More
Labor: Corruption watchdog ‘overdue’
Written by Tess Ikonomou. Originally published in the Northern Beaches Review on APRIL 14 2022 A vote for Labor will be a vote for a “long overdue” national anti-corruption watchdog, the party’s election campaign spokesman says. Jason Clare criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday afternoon over his refusal to commit to establishing a commission.… Read More
Taxpayers fund $55.6 billion in federal grants over less than four years
Taxpayers have funded $55.6 billion in federal grants over less than four years under rules that give ministers sweeping powers to decide the payments, with new research fuelling an election row over calls to establish a national integrity commission to safeguard public funds. The findings show the grants reached $20 billion last year alone across… Read More
Albanese challenges PM on federal corruption watchdog amid $55b grant concerns
Written by Finbar O’Mallon and originally published on 7news.com.au on 19 April 2022 Scott Morrison says he’ll only introduce his highly criticised model for a federal anti-corruption body if Labor promises to let it through unchanged. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has promised to legislate a federal anti-corruption commission by the end of the year if… Read More
Pork barrel politics isn’t just about integrity; it is corrupt
Written by Anthony Whealy. The current chair of the Centre for Public Integrity he is a former NSW Supreme Court judge and a former assistant commissioner of the ICAC. This article was originally published in the Australian Financial Review on May 2, 2022. It is a concern when a major newspaper, in this case, The… Read More
Over $55 billion in grants necessitates new scrutiny framework
A new framework for the administration of government grants is urgently required, according to new research by the Centre for Public Integrity. With over $55 billion in government grants distributed by the Morrison Government, and the Australian National Audit Office finding systemic problems with grant administration, greater scrutiny is vital. The research recommends a tripartite… Read More
New research: Public hearings expose corruption
Read the briefing paper here
Federal budget cuts to integrity bodies spark calls for independent funding
Written by Christopher Knauss. Originally published in the Guardian on March 31 2022 Key integrity bodies suffered direct cuts to their funding in the federal budget, while others continue to be starved of the resources they need to hold the government accountable, analysis reveals. Tuesday night’s budget reduced funding for the commonwealth ombudsman, the administrative… Read More
Scott Morrison’s mystery $13.8 billion campaign war chest
A campaign war chest worth $13.8 billion will help fund a seat-by-seat battle for power at the election after the federal government set up dozens of funds in Tuesday’s budget to woo voters with promises that range from big energy projects to local community schemes. The election strategy pours taxpayer funds into programs that do… Read More
Media release – Budget cuts to ABC and ANAO in real terms + Independent Funding Tribunal needed
Cuts to ABC and ANAO show need for independent funding Funding for accountability institutions is threatened by political budget cycles and should be made independent, according to research and budget analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity. The 2022-2023 budget includes: “Despite promising to restore funding to the ABC and the ANAO, this budget gives… Read More
Political party donation profiles – 1998/9-2019/20
Australian political parties reported receiving over $1.24 billion in donations in the 22 years from 1998/99 – 2019/2020. Both donor and party-reported disclosures to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) reveal that the financing of our political parties is dominated by large and opaque donations. Donations peak in election years, suggesting that private interests seek to… Read More
Scrutiny to drop: Auditor-General appeals to Prime Minister for funding certainty
By Sally Whyte, originally published by the Canberra Times on the 30th of September. Auditor-General Grant Hehir has written to the Prime Minister about his office’s funding. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos The Auditor-General has appealed directly to Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his office’s funding, and has warned scrutiny of government decision-making will drop without an… Read More