The Northern Territory Government has backed a recommendation to establish a new integrity and ethics commission.
The move follows a review to examine the statutory and administrative arrangements of the state’s existing integrity agencies: the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, the Northern Territory Ombudsman, the Health and Community Services Complaints Commission, and the Auditor-General’s Office.
Conducted by the Inspector of NT ICAC Bruce McClintock and Acting Supreme Court Judge of the NT Graham Hiley, the review identified “structural, operational, and resourcing challenges” across the agencies, “many of which have been compounded by leadership instability, recruitment difficulties, legislative constraints, and overlapping functions”.
As a result, the ability of agencies to fully discharge their statutory mandates has been affected, organisational resilience has been diminished and, in some cases, public confidence has been undermined, says the report. “It would not be responsible to continue with the current model and would lead to suboptimal results.”
The review recommended the consolidation of ICAC, the Ombudsman, and the HCSCC into a single, unified commission. The body would be led by an integrity and ethics commissioner, and supported by a chief executive officer and assistant commissioners responsible for each integrity function.
A consolidation would drive benefits “which should result from centralisation of all the corporate and employment functions under one CEO responsible for all such functions separately by each of the integrity agencies”, say the report’s authors. “We are not suggesting that this, of itself, will entirely resolve the capability and resourcing issues which the agencies face but it may increase operational efficiencies and better target finite resources.”
Furthermore, a unification would provide an ability “to transfer resources across what are now separate agencies when necessary. For example, it may be possible to share investigation resources, and fully utilise positions that exist in ICAC beyond the optimal staff levels”.
Not responsible to continue with the current model.
The new ethics body will strengthen the work of ICAC with a remit to “prevent, detect and investigate” improper conduct in government while also providing support to the auditor-general, who will remain outside and independent of the new commission.
The changes represent “a practical and strategically sound approach to ensuring that the Northern Territory’s integrity bodies remain credible, capable, and resilient into the future”, concludes the report.
The government accepted the review’s recommendations in full tabling a copy in parliament last week and publishing it online for public viewing. “There is clear concern in the community about ICAC’s effectiveness. Changes are needed to restore confidence and ensure it can operate effectively,” Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said. “The McClintock-Hiley report makes clear doing nothing is not an option.”
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