Whistleblowing Conference: 31 July 2003, Melbourne

This was the theme of a sell out one day conference organised by Transparency International Australia in association with the Victorian Local Governance Association and The Australian Compliance Institute hosted and generously sponsored by Freehills.

The conference received considerable media attention and was featured in the ABC TV News at 7pm News on 31 July 2003. The ABC picked up on Allan Fels comments that corporate whistleblowing need more encouragement - even giving consideration to rewards for whistleblowers, as is the practice in the USA.

The Conference brochure and programme, and most of the papers and PowerPoint presentations are available below. Biodata of speakers will be available before the end of October 2003.

Keynote Address: Professor Allan Fels AO Keynote address: Whistleblowing: Opportunity or Threat?

Session 1: Whistleblowing: a Strategy for promoting accountability and preventing corruption
Should whistleblowing be encouraged and protected and is it?
Chairman: Henry Bosch AO, Chairman Transparency International Australia.
Brian Hardiman, Senior Assistant Ombudsman (Police Complaints) Victoria
Gayle Hill, Director TI Australia, Whistleblowing: TI Australia's perspectiveand TI Australia's Clerp9 Submission
Professor Kim Sawyer, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, University of Melbourne, Why Australia needs a PIDA and False Claims Act
Calvert Duffy. General Manager Legal Risk management, Freehills and Secretary of Australian Compliance Institute. Freehills Whistleblowing eSurvey

Session 2: Parallel Workshops for Private and Public Sector

Session 2A: Corporate Developments and Initiatives
International developments since Enron and HIGH. Where to from here?
Chairman: Grahame Leonard, TI Australia
Stephen Walmsley, Partner Freehills
Fiona Mead, Assistant Company Secretary Governance and Compliance, Telstra Whistleblowing: Telstra's Approach
Dean Newlan, Partner KPMG & member of Australian Standards working committee on whistle-blowing standard, Corporate Developments and Initiatives
Bob Falconer, Chairman Stopline, Paper, PowerPoint presentation

Session 2B: Victorian and Local Government Workshop
Chairman: Andrew Rowe, Chief Executive VLGA
Penny Armytage, Secretary Department of Justice, Victoria, Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 presentation.
Susan Lakey, Whistleblowers Office, Ombudsman, Victoria Perspective from Victorian Ombudsman Office presentation, Handout notes
Peter Johnstone, CEO, City of Boondara, Perspective from Local Government, Presentation
Wayne Bruce, CEO Stopline, Paper

Session 3: Culture and Psychology
Building sound reputation; addressing negative perceptions; understanding the dynamics of victimisation; handling vexatious complaints
Chair: Mike Lotzof, CEO Australian Compliance Institute - Panel discussion
Joe Pietrowski, Clinical Psychologist, Cairnmillar Institute The Dynamics of Victimisation
Irena Blonder, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, University of Melbourne
Commissioner George Lekakis, Chairperson, Multi-cultural Commission Victoria
Laurel Grossman, Reputation measurement Pty Ltd. Presentation

Session 4: Competing Interests? privacy, transparency and the role of the media
Chairperson: Peter Butler, National Litigation Partner Freehills (former special counsel to the board, Reuters PLC)- Panel discussion
Gary Hughes, Investigative journalist, The Age
Paul Chadwick, Victorian Privacy Commissioner, Whistleblowing, transparency and privacy
Professor Tony Coady, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, University of Melbourne