by jmsthornton | Dec 2, 2015 | Auditor General, IBAC, News, Victoria, Victorian Government Integrity System Reform
In a move long awaited by ART, the Government announced on 29 November 2015 that Victorian IBAC watchdog is finally to get the necessary teeth to investigate MPs, judges and public servants with legislation to be presented in the December sittings. ART members have...
by jmsthornton | Nov 9, 2015 | Federal Government, Governance, News, Public Trust
Barry Jones, a longstanding member of Accountability Round Table has written two papers on the state of democracy in Australia from two different perspectives. These provide a context for openness and accountability in Australian government and public institutions....
by jmsthornton | Nov 3, 2015 | News
Here are audio files of the three speakers at the recent “Buying power” ICAN event on the many negative effects of political donations on political decision making. Mr Royce Millar is a Fairfax investigative journalist with a special interest in public...
by jmsthornton | Oct 19, 2015 | News, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
George Brandis may not have answered our letter to him concerning the defunding of the OAIC with anything other than the justification of efficiency, arguing that abolition of the OAIC is “consistent with its policy to reduce the size of government and...
by jmsthornton | Aug 4, 2015 | Code of Conduct, Corruption, IBAC, News, Submissions, Victoria, Victorian Government Integrity System Reform
Recently ART has written to the Special Minister of State, the Hon. Gavin Jennings, to explore the question, “Do we have a corruption problem in Victoria?” This question has not been explored for some time. Corruption is an ever present threat, especially...
by jmsthornton | Apr 14, 2015 | Federal Government, Freedom of Information, News
ART is very concerned that Freedom of Information (FOI) provisions at the Federal level are under threat and a dangerous precedent subverting the Senate’s constitutional position may be being set. We have previously made a submission to the Senate Committee...