This joint submission into the proposed reforms of The Public Interest Disclosure and Other Legislation Amendment (Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2025 (the Bill) has been signed by 13 civil society organisations. Whistleblowers make Australia a better place, and whistleblower protections are a vital part of Australia’s transparency and accountability infrastructure.
Our organisations support the following changes to the Bill to ensure this reform can fully achieve its purpose:
- An Effective Whistleblower Ombudsman
- Support for Whistleblowers
- Making ‘No Wrong Doors’ Work
- Seamless Protection and Harmonisation
- Immunity for Preparatory Conduct
- Accessible Remedies
- Enforceable Positive Duty to Protect
- Protection for External and Emergency Disclosures
We urge the Albanese Government and the Attorney-General to seize this moment to ensure that Australia has a public interest disclosure regime that properly meets the needs of the community and our strengthened national integrity system.