The ACT Integrity Commissioner, Dennis Cowdroy (pictured) has resigned from the position, effective in the new year.
Announcing Mr Cowdroy’s decision, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Joy Burch, said he had done a “marvelous job’, establishing the Commission, setting up permanent offices and recruiting a Chief Executive and staff for it.
“Since the Commission began receiving complaints on 1 December 2019, over 100 complaints have been received,”Ms Burch said.
“All complaints are reviewed by the Commission and then can be dismissed, referred, or investigated.”
She said that with the Commission’s work well under way and experienced and capable staff recruited, Mr Cowdroy had done an “exceptional job in establishing the Commission and we thank him for this work”.
Ms Burch said Mr Cowdroy brought a wealth of experience to the Commission.
“He was a justice of the Federal Court of Australia, served as an additional judge of the ACT’s Supreme Court and was a Land and Environment Court judge,” she said.
“He also served in the Navy reserve as a captain, as well as on the Defence Force discipline appeal tribunal, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to the Returned and Services League of Australia.”
Ms Burch said the ACT Integrity Commission was now well-established in its Kingston offices with work progressing at a serious pace dealing with all the complaints it has received.
Mr Cowdroy said he thought it was timely a successor be appointed so that the new Commissioner could maintain the momentum of the operations of the Commission so far.
Ms Burch said that as Speaker of the Assembly she would appoint an Acting Commissioner for up to six months to ensure the work of the Commission continued while the process of recruiting the next Integrity Commissioner took place.
“I thank the outgoing Commissioner for his role in establishing the Commission and beginning the important work of investigating and oversighting allegations of corruption and helping educate the community on the important work of the Commission,” Ms Burch said.
“I wish him well with his future endeavours”.
