To succeed, it must have the confidence of the Australian public.
Several of its actions and decisions - including the current mess relating to whether or not it will investigate six people referred to it by the Robodebt Royal Commission - risk eroding public confidence.
Now, just 16 months after it was established, the powers and governance of the NACC need to be reviewed to ensure it lives up to the trust placed in it.
The Australia Institute, which campaigned for a decade to introduce a federal integrity commission, recommends five changes to make the NACC more effective and rebuild public confidence.
Key recommendations:
- Bring forward the statutory review of the NACC
- A statutory review is scheduled to take place in three years. This review should be brought forward and initiated now.
- Allow public hearings whenever it is in the public interest to do so.
- Implement a Whistleblower Protection Authority.
- Ensure the Parliamentary Committee which oversees the NACC is not controlled by the government of the day.
- Broaden the powers of the NACC Inspector.
"When the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was created in 2022, Australians had high expectations, given a string of high-profile integrity issues in government had been identified," said Bill Browne, Director, Democracy & Accountability Program at the Australia Institute.
"A review into the NACC is already planned, but for years in the future - bringing it forward would allow the NACC to course correct before it goes too far adrift.
"An early adverse finding against the NACC Commissioner by the Inspector poses a serious risk to public confidence in the anti-corruption watchdog.
"Expanding the scope of the NACC Inspector and allowing for a non-government majority on the committee scrutinising the NACC would improve oversight of this important body.
"The NACC is yet to hold public hearing, but public hearings are important to ensure that justice is done and to reassure Australians that the NACC is functioning well.
"Australia Institute polling research confirms that Australians overwhelmingly believe that the NACC should be empowered to hold public hearings whenever they are in the public interest."
