The Attorney-General has announced that work has begun to establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) to strengthen anti-corruption measures and law enforcement directed at the national Public Service to keep it free from criminal corruption.
The Attorney-General, Christian Porter (pictured) said the process has already begun with the expansion of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity’s (ACLEI’s) jurisdiction to take effect from 1 January 2021.
Mr Porter said this would involve four new Agencies, an additional $9.9 million in funding and 38 staff.
“The second phase will be the establishment of the CIC, which will subsume ACLEI and cover the remainder of the public sector,” Mr Porter said.
He released draft legislation designed to establish the new public sector watchdog.
“The CIC will have greater investigatory powers than a Royal Commission,” Mr Porter said.
“The CIC’s powers include the ability to compel people to give sworn evidence at hearings, with a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment for not complying,” he said.
“It could compel people to provide information and produce documents (even if the information would incriminate the person).”
He said that in addition, the new Commission could search people and their houses, or seize property (under warrant); arrest people; tap phones and use other surveillance devices to investigate them, and confiscate people’s passports by court order.
“Australians rightly expect that those working in the public sector — including politicians and their staff — are held to the highest standards of honesty and accountability,” Mr Porter said.
“This is why the new CIC has been given the most significant powers and resources to detect and deter criminal activity and enhance the public sector’s long-term resilience.”
He said the CIC would be led by an Integrity Commissioner and two Deputy Commissioners who would head the watchdog’s separate law enforcement and public sector integrity divisions.
Mr Porter said a consultation period on the draft legislation would run until March 2021 to allow time for comprehensive feedback.
The draft Bills can be accessed on the Attorney-General’s Department website at this PS News link and a three-page fact sheet about the CIC at this link.
