Australian Public Service Commission

Australia’s ranking in global anti-corruption index remains steady – but shows we cannot be complacent

Retrieved on: 
星期二, 一月 30, 2024
National Anti-Corruption Commission, Democracy, Public Service Commission, Research, Social media, Transparency, Transparency International, Policy, Culture, Corruption, Crime, Government, AIC, Election commission, Australian Public Service Commission, Corruption Perceptions Index, Leppington, Robodebt scheme, Drug

The latest Corruption Perceptions Index – an annual survey from Transparency International that tracks how corrupt governments are perceived to be – shows Australia still has a way to go on this front.

Key Points: 
  • The latest Corruption Perceptions Index – an annual survey from Transparency International that tracks how corrupt governments are perceived to be – shows Australia still has a way to go on this front.
  • Australia came in at 14th place with a score of 75 out of 100, which is the same score as last year.
  • In 2012, Australia had ranked an impressive seventh in the world with a score of 85.

The anti-corruption commission is just the first step

  • Using rigorous methodology, the index compiles independent assessments of a country’s efforts to prevent and control corruption by business leaders and experts.
  • The National Anti-Corruption Commission, for example, is not the magic bullet that alone will restore Australia’s good standing on the global stage.
  • While it’s important to investigate these allegations of wrongdoing, the National Anti-Corruption Commission cannot stop every bad policy or practice.
  • Promoting integrity is bigger than the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Election financing and whisteblower reforms

  • While the National Anti-Corruption Commission is a first step, we still need to implement reforms on election financing, foreign bribery and anti-money laundering regulations, and protections for whistleblowers.
  • However, there is more the commission should be able to do if the government makes the appropriate policy decisions on election reform.
  • Three areas need attention: 1) We need limits on campaign financing and better regulation of political donations.


Adam Graycar has received funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a member of Transparency International.

View from The Hill: The 'sealed' chapter of the Robodebt report should be released

Retrieved on: 
星期日, 七月 9, 2023
People, Prejudice, National, Code, APS, Disclosure, Australian Public Service Commission, Public Service Commission, Capital districts and territories, Civil service commission, Government, Law society, Royal, Name, Australian Federal Police Association, Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, Royal commission, Commonwealth, Labour, Private investigator, Robodebt scheme

Commissioner Catherine Holmes has said the report’s secret chapter “recommends the referral of individuals for civil action or criminal prosecution”.

Key Points: 
  • Commissioner Catherine Holmes has said the report’s secret chapter “recommends the referral of individuals for civil action or criminal prosecution”.
  • While at first blush Holmes’s argument for suppressing the names sounds fair and the right thing to do, it is in fact flawed.
  • The case for secrecy can be made, but it is trumped by that for disclosure.
  • The general public, and especially the victims of Robodebt, deserve to know who has been referred.
  • “The sealed chapter of the report refers to individuals and is subject to a Direction Not to Publish issued by the Royal Commissioner.
  • There are strong grounds for the government to make public the sealed section, in the name of transparency.

Robodebt royal commissioner makes multiple referrals for prosecution, condemning scheme as 'crude and cruel'

Retrieved on: 
星期五, 七月 7, 2023
Prejudice, Federal Court of Justice, National, NOT, Failure, Culture, Commission, Trauma, Policy, Australian Federal Police Association, Light, Australian Public Service Commission, Public Service Commission, Morrison, Federal court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Crime, Social Security, Government, Cabinet, Name, Robodebt scheme, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Private law, Income, National Anti-Corruption Commission, 2011 Australian federal budget, Program, Commonwealth, News, Auction, Interior design, Guardian

Robodebt Royal Commissioner Catherine Holmes has referred multiple individuals involved with the illegal scheme for civil and criminal prosecutions and other actions.

Key Points: 
  • Robodebt Royal Commissioner Catherine Holmes has referred multiple individuals involved with the illegal scheme for civil and criminal prosecutions and other actions.
  • In a swingeing indictment of the scheme, the commission says: “Robodebt was a crude and cruel mechanism, neither fair nor legal, and it made many people feel like criminals.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference he did not have the sealed section, but the head of his department, Glyn Davis, did.
  • Robodebt, designed to raise maximum revenue, used income averaging to strike debts to recover money from welfare payments.
  • Scott Morrison, who as social services minister was an initiator of the scheme, “allowed Cabinet to be misled,” the report says.
  • "Truly dismaying was the revelation of dishonesty and collusion to prevent the Scheme’s lack of legal foundation coming to light.

Robodebt royal commission recommends multiple referrals for prosecution, condemning scheme as 'crude and cruel'

Retrieved on: 
星期五, 七月 7, 2023
Prejudice, National, NOT, Failure, Culture, Commission, Trauma, Policy, Australian Federal Police Association, Light, Australian Public Service Commission, Public Service Commission, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Crime, NPP, Social Security, Government, Cabinet, Name, Robodebt scheme, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Private law, Income, National Anti-Corruption Commission, 2011 Australian federal budget, Program, Commonwealth, News, Auction, Recycling, Guardian

Robodebt Royal Commissioner Catherine Holmes has recommended the referral of multiple individuals involved with the illegal scheme for civil and criminal prosecutions.

Key Points: 
  • Robodebt Royal Commissioner Catherine Holmes has recommended the referral of multiple individuals involved with the illegal scheme for civil and criminal prosecutions.
  • They are contained in a sealed section of Holmes’ report, released Friday, with referrals variously to be made to the Public Service Commission, the new National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Australian Federal Police, and professional bodies.
  • In a swingeing indictment of the scheme, the commission says: “Robodebt was a crude and cruel mechanism, neither fair nor legal, and it made many people feel like criminals.
  • Sources said about 20 people were involved, including former ministers and public servants.
  • Robodebt, designed to raise maximum revenue, used income averaging to strike debts to recover money from welfare payments.
  • Scott Morrison, who as social services minister was an initiator of the scheme, “allowed Cabinet to be misled,” the report says.

The new National Anti-Corruption Commission faces high expectations – and a potential mountain of work

Retrieved on: 
星期六, 七月 1, 2023
Heart, Leadership, National, Liberal National Party, Friends, PwC, Contract, Culture, NACC, Morrison, Intelligence, Research, CEO, Government, War, Australian National Audit Office, Robodebt scheme, Royal commission, National Anti-Corruption Commission, Services Australia, Commonwealth, Parking, Health, Corruption, Australian Public Service Commission, Drug, Tobacco, Risk management, Private investigator, Pharmaceutical industry, Environmental remediation, Accounting, NSW

Australia’s new National Anti-Corruption Commission is due to begin its operations today. Already there is much talk about who and what it should investigate. So what kinds of cases can – and will – the NACC pursue? And how will its performance be judged? The answers will be crucial not only to its own reputation, but overall public confidence in our newly strengthened public integrity system.Leadership is one key to successBut as an agency which still clearly has strong powers and substantial resources, its credibility now rests primarily on the good judgement of its leadership and how it performs.

Key Points: 


Australia’s new National Anti-Corruption Commission is due to begin its operations today. Already there is much talk about who and what it should investigate. So what kinds of cases can – and will – the NACC pursue? And how will its performance be judged? The answers will be crucial not only to its own reputation, but overall public confidence in our newly strengthened public integrity system.

Leadership is one key to success

    • But as an agency which still clearly has strong powers and substantial resources, its credibility now rests primarily on the good judgement of its leadership and how it performs.
    • The first signs are good, with widely respected appointments by the government.
    • tide in the affairs of the nation, which might significantly change for the better the governance of our Commonwealth.

A clear first case for NACC to handle?

    • A clear example of the type of case the NACC should take on is the alleged abuse of public office by retiring Coalition frontbencher Stuart Robert.
    • Vitally, there is now an independent federal agency able to investigate and say clearly if there has been wrongdoing, or not.

Who can bring a case to the agency?

    • In fact, any member of the public can ask the NACC to investigate based on their concerns about what has been reported.
    • In the Robert case, Services Australia is already investigating alleged internal conflicts of interest affecting contracts won by the same consulting firm at the centre of the allegations against Robert.
    • Crucially, there’s another way the NACC can decide which case to take on.
    • If its own risk assessments, intelligence or the public debate identify cases of concern, it need not wait for anyone’s “referral”.

Could PwC be investigated?

    • There have been prominent calls for the NACC to investigate the PwC scandal.
    • Here, confidential government information about planned tax avoidance laws was used by the consulting firm to help its clients avoid the crackdown.
    • Or the Australian National Audit Office’s most recent scathing report on the government’s even larger health and hospital funding program.

Why other reforms still matter

    • For example, it is hard to imagine a more serious lapse of public integrity than the Robodebt scandal.
    • However, this is not the type of case the NACC is ever likely to investigate, because no personal corruption was involved.
    • To prevent such massive failures of fairness, transparency and legality, we need other reforms, such as a far more robust Commonwealth ombudsman.

Expectations are very high


    Of course, there’s even more which will influence the NACC’s effectiveness, including:
    The NACC will need to be politically visible, yet totally independent. It must be scrupulously meticulous, but also clear-minded, values-driven and brave. All this is possible. But after years of growing expectations, the NACC certainly has no small task.

Developing an APS-wide Privacy Code

Retrieved on: 
星期一, 十月 31, 2022
OAIC, Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia), Privacy, Credit Reporting Privacy Code (New Zealand), Public sector, Commissioner, Code, Public service, APS, PM, Department, Commonwealth, Australian Public Service Commission, Internet service provider, Satellite navigation device, Medical device

Developing an APS-wide Privacy Code

Key Points: 
  • Developing an APS-wide Privacy Code
    Joint Statement
    Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,
    Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
    An Australian Public Service (APS) Privacy Code will be developed to support the Australian Governments public data agenda.
  • The OAIC is uniquely placed to develop the code given its specific privacy expertise and experience.
  • The Privacy Code, and its supporting tools and resources, will ensure the APS has the skills and capabilities to place that integrated approach at the centre of public sector innovation.
  • The Privacy Code will apply to all Australian Government entities subject to the Australian Privacy Act 1988.