The Integrity Commission has been scathing of the “legislative and resourcing constraints” placed upon them by the Liberal government, in their Annual Report tabled today. Echoing what the Greens have been saying for years, the Integrity Commission has painted a picture of a body who can’t do its duty to the Tasmanian people, due to underfunding and a lack of legislative support from the Rockliff Liberals.
The Integrity Commission is the most under-funded integrity body in the country. Its woeful budget hobbles the Commission’s investigatory and educational functions. The Liberals in government have purposely blunted the teeth of the public’s watchdog. It’s almost like they don’t want the integrity of their Ministers and MPs to be called into question.
It’s been clear now for years that the Integrity Commission cannot fulfil its duty to the public to investigate serious misconduct or corruption with its meagre funding. According to the Integrity Commission, their underfunding has significantly delayed investigations in the last year. Only one investigation was completed in the past year, and at least one significant investigation has been ongoing for more than two years.
The Commission has seen an increase in cases due to the Commission of Inquiry and has warned it will not be able to fulfil the Weiss review’s recommendations without further funding and legislative reform. This is deeply disrespectful to victim survivors and those who gave evidence to the CoI or the Weiss independent review.
The Integrity Commission says it’s “disappointed” that a protocol dealing with information covered by parliamentary privilege has still not been implemented, despite negotiations with the government and the Parliament for nearly eighteen months.
We’re still in the bizarre situation where the Integrity Commission cannot investigate MPs or candidates during election campaigns. Despite the Liberals promises for action, the Integrity Commission has been waiting for reforms to its governing legislation for a decade. The Rockliff government clearly wants to keep its integrity watchdog on a short leash.
With even the Integrity Commission now stating publicly it doesn’t have the resourcing or legislative support from the Liberal government to properly fulfil its statutory role, the Liberals can’t not act.
Premier Rockliff must intervene to give the Integrity Commission the funding and powers it needs to protect the public interest and ensure the highest standards of integrity among all public officers in Tasmania.
