The work to crack down on “integrity and accountability” in the federal government begins today as the prime minister’s election promise of a National Anti-Corruption Commission comes to fruition.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) aims to “deter, detect and prevent” corrupt conduct in the Commonwealth public sector including among parliamentarians and public servants.
It plans to do this through “education, monitoring, investigation, reporting and referral”.
Commissioner Paul Brereton AM RFD SC said the commencement of the anti-corruption watchdog’s work is a “historic moment”.
“The people of the Commonwealth are no longer prepared to tolerate practices which might once have been the subject of, if not acceptance, at least acquiescence,” he said.
”The leadership of the Australian Public Service has adopted the objective of ensuring that the public service embraces a pro-integrity culture.”
The anti-corruption agency has 180 staff which is expected to grow to 260 over the next two years operating across Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne and soon Brisbane and Perth.
Anyone is able to refer a question of corrupt conduct involving a public official to the agency.
The commission itself will also investigate potential corruption matters on its own motion.
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“We conduct corruption investigations, not criminal investigations,” Brereton added.
The agency has already received 44 referrals online and five phone requests for callbacks regarding suspected corrupt conduct.
“Commonwealth public officials wield great power that can massively impact, for better or worse, the lives of individuals and communities,” Brereton said.
”Integrity in governance is fundamental to ensuring that decisions such as these are made in the public interest, unaffected by private interest; and that resources are applied for the benefit of the people for whom they are intended, and not eroded or diverted.”
Brereton added the primary function of the commission is to investigate the misuse of public power, position and property and to restore the public’s trust in the government by holding officials to account.
“A primary function of the Commission is the investigation of conduct that could involve serious and systemic corruption,” he added.
“It is through detection, investigation and reporting that corrupt conduct is exposed, and through the risk of such exposure that more corrupt conduct is deterred.”
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