Australia has taken an historic step towards restoring trust in government with the introduction of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) legislation to Parliament.
“Transparency International Australia has been championing the cause of a national anti-corruption commission for almost 20 years. We are proud to have contributed our expertise, from years of analysis in Australia and overseas, to the development of this reform” said Clancy Moore, CEO of Transparency International Australia (TI AU).
“After a decade of decline on Transparency International’s global corruption ranking and countless corruption scandals, this landmark reform is a life raft for Australia’s political system.”
The design principles of the anti-corruption commission legislation promise a strong and effective agency with the power to prevent and stop corruption. The best way to stop corruption is to prevent it.
Australia is also introducing legislation to reform the federal public sector whistleblowing legislation
TI AU notes that these steps- while significant - are part of the process and the work continues. They are concerned that circumstances for public hearings are too restrictive. An overhaul of whistleblower protection laws, along with the establishment of a centralised, independent authority to ensure whistleblowers are heard and protected, is also needed.
For more information from TI Australia’s media release and this op-ed from Clancy Moore CEO of Transparency International Australia.
