Federal Corruption Watchdog with Teeth
In 2022, the Federal Parliament passed legislation to establish the National Anti-Corruption Commission, a watchdog that will investigate potential corruption at the highest level. It passed with cross-partisan support. The Commission will be operational by mid 2023.
It is clear the National Anti-Corruption Commission will fill a huge gap in Australia's integrity system.
Altogether, 19,000 people signed Australia Institute petitions calling for an effective anti-corruption watchdog at the federal level. Now, thanks in no small part to your support, the National Anti-Corruption Commission is law.
Read more about the Commission.
Photo: Former counsel assisting NSW ICAC Geoffrey Watson SC
A strong and independent federal anti-corruption commission is urgently needed to investigate and expose corruption and misconduct in the federal government and public service.
A poorly designed ICAC would be a disaster.
41 corruption fighters and eminent lawyers signed an open letter calling for the anti-corruption body to have:
• broad jurisdiction to investigate any conduct that adversely affects the proper exercise of public administration
• strong investigative powers including the ability to hold public hearings
• secured independence including long term appointments for Commissioner and a stable budget
85% of Australians believe there is corruption in federal politics and 78% support establishing a federal anti-corruption commission with public hearings.
It’s time to set up a federal corruption watchdog with teeth.
Add your name to the open letter!
Signatories
41 prominent Australians, including Paul Stein AM QC, Geoff Gallop AC, Anthony Whealy QC, George Williams AO and Nicholas Cowdery AM QC, have already joined with the Australia Institute in calling for a federal corruption watchdog with teeth:
|
Name |
Position |
|
The Hon Paul Stein AM QC |
Former judge of the NSW Court of Appeal, former President of the Anti Discrimination Board |
|
The Hon David Harper AM QC |
Former judge Supreme Court of Victoria, Senior Fellow Melbourne Law School |
|
The Hon Anthony Whealy QC |
Former judge of the NSW Court of Appeal, former justice of the NSW Supreme Court, |
|
Nicholas Cowdery AM QC |
Former Director of Public Prosecutions, NSW |
|
Professor Geoff Gallop AC |
Former Premier of WA |
|
George Williams AO |
Dean, UNSW Law |
|
Carmen Lawrence |
Former Premier of WA |
|
Gary Crooke QC |
Former counsel assisting, Fitzgerald Inquiry |
|
Ged Kearney |
President, Australian Council of Trade Unions |
|
Andrew Dettmer |
National President, Australian Manufacturers Workers Union |
|
Robert Richter QC |
Barrister |
|
Geoffrey Watson SC |
Barrister, former counsel assisting NSW ICAC |
|
Professor Graeme Orr |
TC Bierne School of Law, University of Queensland |
|
Brian Walters AM QC |
Barrister |
|
Stephen Keim SC |
Barrister |
|
Associate Professor Lynne Chester |
Department of Political Economy, University of Sydney |
|
Professor Tim Prenzler |
Program leader, Criminology and Justince, University of Sunshine Coast |
|
Associated Professor Ken Coghill |
Monash Business School |
|
Dr Valarie Sands |
Chair, Australian Citizens Against Corruption |
|
Laura Neil |
President, Australian Lawyers Alliance |
|
Jonathon Hunyor |
CEO, Public Interest Advocacy Centre |
|
Maxine McKew |
John Cain Foundation |
|
Joshua Jones |
Barrister |
|
Professor Spencer Zifcak |
Thomas More Academy of Law, Australian Catholic University |
|
Professor Cameron Hazlehurst |
Adjunct Professor, Humanities Research Centre, ANU |
|
Sean Reidy |
Barrister |
|
Dr Colleen Lewis |
Adjunct Professor, Monash University |
|
Emeritus Professor Meredith Edwards |
ANZSOG Institute for Governance, University of Canberra |
|
Emeritus Professor Barbara Pocock |
School of Business, University of South Australia |
|
Tony Kenyon |
Former President, Australian Lawyers Alliance |
|
Josh Bornstein |
Principal, Maurice Blackburn |
|
Alex McKean |
Barrister |
|
Ben Slade |
Principal, Maurice Blacburn |
|
Richard Carew |
Partner, Carew Lawyers |
|
John Menadue AO |
public commentator |
|
Dr Klaas Woldring |
Former Associate Professor, Southern Cross University |
|
David Barnden |
Lawyer, Environmental Justice Australia |
|
Corinne Grant |
Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn |
|
Howard Whitton |
Visiting fellow, University of Canberra |
|
Dr Richard Gould |
Tribunals Member, Australian Citizens Against Corruption |
|
Evelyn Doyle |
FOI Advocate |
To the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten,
A strong and independent federal anti-corruption commission is urgently needed to investigate and expose corruption and misconduct in the federal government and public service.
Scandal after scandal involving federal parliamentarians and senior public servants show us that corruption does occur at a federal level, and that there are significant gaps in our current systems of oversight. In fact, there is no single agency responsible for investigating corrupt conduct among our federal parliamentarians and ministers.
To fill the gaps in the oversight of government, and make sure our elected representatives are held to account, a federal anti-corruption commission must be established immediately with:
- broad jurisdiction to investigate any conduct that adversely affects the proper exercise of public administration
- strong investigative powers including the ability to hold public hearings
- secured independence including long term appointments for Commissioner and a stable budget
It’s time to set up a federal corruption watchdog with teeth.