Political corruption

Public sector agencies are not doing enough to address the risk of employees being targeted by organised crime groups, Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission warns.

The Tasmanian parliament resumed Tuesday, unable to avoid the blistering bipartisan critique from the state’s former integrity commissioner. A bill is being put forward to criminalise misuse of public office, which would bring it in line with the other states.

Persistent beliefs that corruption in government is endemic and unsolvable are simply not true, writes public policy professor Adam Graycar, former SA Cabinet Office head and author of Understanding and Preventing Corruption. More rules won’t stop the remaining Bronwyn Bishops, but a focus on integrity culture might.

Local councils are at risk of corruption and misuse of plant due to substandard rules and controls in depots, argues a report by IBAC.

The Victorian government will “fully honour” its commitments to tighten up Victoria’s anti-corruption and integrity system, says Minister Gavin Jennings, responding to backflip claims.

The Victorian government has signalled a backflip on its promise to strengthen the state’s anti-corruption body. A minister claims his state has less corruption than New South Wales, but those claims have been questioned as “idealistic” and “unreliable”.

Anti-corruption processes across key federal entities, led by the Australian Federal Police, have been enhanced in recent years in response to major foreign bribery cases. But no matter how good these measures are, they do little to weaken the case for a federal ICAC.