A PARLIAMENTARY inquiry has pushed back against the state government’s proposal to strip the Integrity Commission of its investigative powers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A joint standing committee reviewing the corruption watchdog’s performance and powers has suggested that its full range of educative and investigative functions should remain intact.
The government had fronted the inquiry to advocate scrapping the watchdog’s investigative arm, leaving it to refer complaints to other authorities and concentrate on educating public servants about preventing misconduct.
But in a progress report handed down yesterday, the committee distanced itself from the government’s plan.
‘‘The committee can indicate that it will be seeking to make recommendations that will improve the operation of the existing model which includes both educative and investigate functions,’’ the report said.
Integrity Commission chief executive Diane Merryfull said the finding was gratifying.
‘‘The Integrity Commission has gained a strong public presence with its educative and investigative work into misconduct in Tasmania since it began operations in 2010,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s extremely important to the Tasmanian community and the public service that the committee has recognised the importance of the investigations we do.’’
But Ms Merryfull said the government’s ultimate intention for the Integrity Commission was unclear.
Liberal MHA Guy Barnett split with all other committee members to vote against the recommendation, with Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin also stopping short of endorsing the finding.
‘‘The committee has indicated that it will be seeking to make recommendations that will improve the operation of the existing model,’’ Dr Goodwin said.
‘‘We will consider those recommendations when the final report is issued early next year.’’
Greens justice spokesman Nick McKim said the threat to the Integrity Commission remained.
‘‘This is a humiliating slapdown for a government determined to gut the Integrity Commission,’’ he said. ‘‘It is now incumbent on Will Hodgman today to rule out ignoring this Parliament committee’s recommendation and proceeding anyway with his radical plan to abolish the investigative powers of the Integrity Commission.’’
Labor justice spokeswoman Lara Giddings said the government had misfired. ‘‘Any government that seeks to diminish the powers of a body like the Integrity Commission risks being seen by the public as trying to hide something and being potentially corrupt,’’ she said.
