There have been improvements, including the replacement of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, increased funding to some agencies and the introduction of the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), although without the power to hold public hearings whenever they are in the public interest.
Overall, the government’s broader record on integrity and transparency remains wanting.
- There is no Whistleblower Commissioner or Office as Labor promised in 2019.
- This government’s record on dealing with freedom of information requests remains poor.
- Integrity agencies remain underfunded even as their responsibilities expand.
- Ministers are not required to, and do not proactively, publish their diaries to reveal who they are meeting with.
- The response to the Robodebt scandal has failed to achieve justice for victims of the unlawful scheme, with the NACC subject to adverse findings over its handling of the matter.
- David McBride is behind bars for blowing the whistle on alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.
This Tuesday, the Australia Institute and Think Forward will convene a roundtable of integrity experts and officeholders emeritus to discuss the decline in accountability and the role of the integrity arm of government: including auditors, ombudsmen, anti-corruption commissioners and information commissioners.
The media is invited to attend community independent Senator David Pocock’s keynote address, which will open the roundtable.
When: Tuesday, February 11
Time: 9.30 am
Where: Parliament House Senate Committee Room 1S4
Among other things the roundtable will consider:
- Ensuring all integrity officers are appointed by and answerable to the Parliament rather than to Ministers.
- Their budgets and staff are determined by the Parliament (as in New Zealand) rather than at the mercy of the government of the day.
There will be a media conference after the roundtable to announce its findings (around 1.15pm, media alert to follow).
“The Australian system of government is letting down citizens and residents,” said Allan Asher, consumer advocate and former Commonwealth Ombudsman.
“Run-down in all integrity agencies is leading to a drastic loss of confidence in government, and every MP facing election shortly should be very concerned about this.”
“The agencies responsible for government oversight have suffered a decade of neglect, leading to a deficit of integrity and a Parliament constrained in its ability to hold the executive to account,” said Bill Browne, Director of the Australia Institute’s Democracy and Accountability Program.
“Trust in government can be restored by recognising integrity bodies as a distinct arm of government, with a key role to play in safeguarding Australian democracy.”
