Corruption in Australia

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Corruption can take many forms, and can distort how public policy is made or implemented. This article discusses the responsibilities of the various agencies involved in combating corruption in Australia. Australia became a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2005. [1] While Australia is a wealthy democracy, over the decade since 2012, Australia's ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International has slipped from 7th place in 2012 to 14th in 2023, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. Additionally, there is a public perception that corruption in Australia is increasing. All states have broad-based anti-corruption agencies, and a national anti-corruption commission has been operational since July 2023. [2]

Contents

Protections for whistleblowers are weak[ according to whom? ] in Australia, [3] although greater protections have been pledged by the incumbent Albanese government. [4]

Federal level

By state or territory

New South Wales

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was established in 1989 to improve the integrity of the public service. ICAC is an independent body that is non-political, and that does not have a government minister in charge of its operations. The ICAC holds a large amount of investigative powers including listening devices and telephone interception. [5]

Queensland

The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) is an independent statutory body that investigates and aims to reduce the amount of corruption across the public sector. It also investigates other serious crimes including money laundering, fraud and homicide. Its powers include the ability to call witnesses to hearings, and require individuals to produce evidence. [6] The CCC can give recommendations to courts, but cannot charge individuals with corruptions or crimes. It was established on 1 January 2002.

Tasmania

The Integrity Commission is an independent statutory body which was established in 2010. It was created to ensure integrity in the public service and reduce corruption within Tasmania. Reports have found the Tasmanian Integrity Commission to have major flaws in its design due to none of its investigations using their full powers in an investigation. [7]

Victoria

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is the key body that investigates corruption within Victoria. It was established in July 2012. The commission is designed to investigate corruption in the public service such as councils, parliament, the judiciary and other government bodies. The Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has a large range of powers similar to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption such as interception of telecommunication devices and asking people to produce evidence or to speak at hearings. [8]

Northern Territory

The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (Northern Territory) was established in 2018.

Western Australia

The Corruption and Crime Commission was established in Western Australia in 2004.

South Australia

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (South Australia) was established in 2013.

Convicted Australian politicians

Public-private corruption

Public-private partnership corruption [9] or privatisation leading to inherent monopoly within public sector could raise to levels of corruption when it is abused. See example:

- PwC tax scandal

Rankings and research

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index scores countries according to the perceived corruption of the public sector on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean") and then ranks those countries by their score—the country with the highest score is ranked first and is perceived to have the most honest public sector. [10] The 2012 Index gave Australia a score of 85/100, which ranked it in 7th place out of 176 countries, [11] although a corruption law expert warned that the Index gave an incomplete picture because it ignored corrupt dealings between Australia and foreign countries. [12]

The perception of corruption in the Australian public sector has been increasing since 2012. In the 2015 Index Australia ranked 13th, dropping six positions since 2012. [13] [14] Transparency International described Australia's score of 77 in the 2020 Index as a 'significant decliner', having fallen eight points since 2012, [15] and called Australia's score of 73 in the 2021 Index 'one of the world’s most significant decliners, having dropped 12 points since 2012 to hit a record low this year. Its deteriorating score indicates systemic failings in tackling public sector corruption.' [16]

The phenomenon has also been studied by the Australian National University, which produced a report called Perceptions of Corruption and Ethical Conduct (2012), which concluded: 'there is a widespread perception that corruption in Australia has increased' and that 'the media, trade unions and political parties were seen as Australia's most corrupt institutions'. [17]

Research published in 2015 by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand found government and private firms in Australia and nearby New Zealand both display widespread 'complacent' attitudes about corruption, particularly in regards to companies bidding for government contracts. [18]

In January 2018, a discussion paper published by the Australia Institute, suggested that the trust in the Australian government is at a historical low, which could have reduced the GDP by as much as 4% or $72.3 billion. [14]

A report by Australian Public Service Commission's released in 2018, stated that investigations were conducted in only 0.3% of the workforce, meaning a total of 596 employees. [19]

International comparison

Australia's score of 75 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index remains well above the global average score of 43 and ranks the country at 14th of the 180 countries in that year's Index. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11 (ranked 180). [20] For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among the countries of the Asia Pacific region [Note 1] was that of New Zealand, Australia's nearest neighbour. New Zealand scored 85 and was ranked 3rd in the 2023 Index. [21] The average score in the Asia Pacific region was 45 and the lowest score was 17. [22]

Some of Australia's smaller neighbours are making steps towards establishing Independent Commissions Against Corruption, with Papua New Guinea recently voting unanimously to set up an Independent Commission Against Corruption. [23] Another small neighbour, the Solomon Islands recently appointed its first director general for its Independent Commission against Corruption. [24]

Partnerships

Australia is part of G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group and the United Nations Convention against Corruption Working Groups. [25]

Notes

  1. ↑ Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, and Vietnam

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ Kunc, Francois (November 2022). "Introduction and a note to contributors". Australian Law Journal . 96 (11): 782. doi:10.3316/agispt.20221124078366 (inactive 1 November 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  2. ↑ "Information about the National Anti-Corruption Commission". Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity . Australian Government. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "Government urged to drop prosecutions against Richard Boyle, David McBride and Bernard Collaery". ABC News. 13 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Pelly, Michael (16 November 2022). "Whistleblower laws to be introduced within next fortnight". Australian Financial Review . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Gorta, Angela (June 2003). "The NSW independent commission against corruption's experience in minimising corruption". Asian Journal of Political Science. 11 (1): 1–21. doi:10.1080/02185370308434216. ISSN   0218-5377. S2CID   154571310.
  6. ↑ "Our powers". www.ccc.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Aulby, Hannah (2018). Tasmania's toothless watchdog: A comparison of the Tasmanian and NSW anti-corruption watchdogs (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Australia Institute.
  8. ↑ "About us". IBAC. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "Corruption in Public Private Partnerships" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated". Transparency.org. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "2012 Corruption Perceptions Index: Australia". Transparency.org. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Jennings, Andrew (13 December 2012). "Ranking doesn't change foreign bribery facts". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  13. ↑ "Australia continues slide down International Corruption Index, perceived as 'more corrupt'". ABC News. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  14. 1 2 Aulby, Hannah (January 2018). "The cost of corruption" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "CPI 2020: Asia Pacific - News". Transparency.org. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "9 countries to watch on the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index". Transparency.org. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  17. ↑ Creagh, Sunanda (5 November 2012). "Media, unions and political parties seen as Australia's most corrupt institutions". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "Australian firms too 'complacent' about corruption". ABC News. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  19. ↑ Commission, Australian Public Service (8 January 2018). "APS Values and the Code of Conduct · State of the Service". State of the Service. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  20. ↑ "Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 for Australia". Transparency.org. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 for New Zealand". Transparency.org. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "CPI 2023 for Asia Pacific: Regional stagnation marked by inadequate delivery of anti-corruption commitments". Transparency.org. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  23. ↑ "PNG: Anti-corruption body welcomes passing of ICAC bill". ABC Radio Australia. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  24. ↑ "Anti-corruption Body Appoints Director General - Solomon Times Online". SolomonTimes.com. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  25. ↑ "Attorney-General's Department >> Crime and corruption >> Anti-corruption". Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
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