The Gutwein government won’t get away without being reminded there is a big void where their integrity should be.
Their failure to progress recommendations from an independent review of the Tasmanian Integrity Commission, conducted six years ago by the Honourable William Cox AC, highlights the government’s aversion to prioritise integrity in government.
The Australia Institute Report confirms that the Commission is one of the weakest in the nation, it reinforces the need for better funding and the implementation of recommended improvements to uphold integrity in public office.
This report reveals the Commission receives the second lowest funding per capita of all integrity bodies in the country.
Not only that, but the report also shows that the government has implemented just six of the 55 recommendations from the 2016 review.
The report suggests that, as a result, the Integrity Commission is completing less than 10 per cent of the number of investigations completed by other integrity bodies on the mainland.
The Commission’s investigative capacity and timeliness in delivering outcomes are limited by its inability to adequately fund its operations and it is vital that the government delivers the resources it needs to uphold integrity in public office.
Peter Gutwein had the opportunity in Question Time today to guarantee adequate resourcing for the Commission and the implementation of the remaining recommendations.
Instead, he boasted about the measly six recommendations that have been adopted and gave no timeframe for when the remaining recommendations would be implemented.
Tasmanians can have no trust in a government that does not value integrity.
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
