January 29, 2023

Joint submission: Inquiry into the the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022

Joint submission for whistleblower protections

Summary

The Human Rights Law Centre, Griffith University’s Centre for Governance & Public Policy and Transparency International Australia have called for a comprehensive reform process to ensure stronger protections for Australian whistleblowers, building on initial announcements by the Albanese government about its first steps.

In a joint submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022, the organisations welcomed the Government’s first, largely-technical phase of reform to the Public Interest Disclosure Act, which protects federal public servant whistleblowers.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

The group expressed concern however about the risks of a piecemeal approach to improving whistleblower protections, urging the Committee and Government to pursue a clear, ambitious vision for comprehensive reform across all Commonwealth laws, driven by a transparent whole-of-government process to ensure whistleblower protections return to being world-leading.

Of 21 areas for reform identified in Protecting Australia’s Whistleblowers: The Federal Roadmap, published by the organisations in November 2022, the Bill only addresses one reform in full and four in-part. A new edition of the Roadmap updated to reflect the Bill has been published alongside the submission.