Tasmanian Integrity Chief Defends Decade of Work

Media statement – Integrity Commission Tasmania, 15 August 2025

Reflections at the conclusion of my term

As I conclude my term as Chief Commissioner of the Integrity Commission Tasmania, I reflect on the organisation’s exemplary achievements over the last ten years.

This is due primarily to its hard-working staff and strong leadership. I also acknowledge the committed and engaged Board members with whom I have worked.

I have said previously that it is disappointing to witness ill-informed comments by politicians about our efficacy. Such comments reflect an ignorance of the facts, and a disregard for the effect of those comments on our staff.

They also fail to acknowledge our critical educative function, aimed at building a pro-integrity culture across the Tasmanian public sector that can withstand misconduct. I have always firmly believed that prevention is better than cure.

It is misconceived to say that the Integrity Commission is incapable of fulfilling its role. There are delays that are outside of our control that affect the progress of investigations.

Discretion and ensuring people are not subjected to untested allegations being canvassed in the public arena, are a cornerstone of the Integrity Commission’s approach.

This approach protects the integrity of our investigations by affording fairness to the subjects of those investigations – who by definition have not been found to have engaged in any act of misconduct – and allowing our people to fulfil their responsibilities without unnecessary public influence or pressure.

I am proud of the Integrity Commission’s exemplary achievements, and I look forward to it continuing to flourish in an environment characterised by public trust and the informed commentary of our political leaders.

Greg Melick AO KC
Chief Commissioner

Media release – The Australia Institute, 8 August 2025

Underfunded, toothless and lacking transparency – time for a new era of integrity in Tasmania

As Tasmania’s newly elected politicians jostle to form government, new analysis from The Australia Institute shows that a deal to address integrity would be popular among election-weary voters.

The analysis has found the Tasmanian Integrity Commission is desperately underfunded and lacks power and transparency.

It recommends the new parliament address five major issues with the commission and the 49 outstanding recommendations from a 2016 review which, nearly a decade on, have not been implemented.

Key findings:

The Tasmanian Integrity Commission’s 2024 budget is $3.73 million, just a fraction of equivalent bodies in Victoria ($63.6m) and NSW ($49.7m).

The Commission has never held a public hearing in its 14 years of operation, despite having the power to do so – leading to significant transparency and public trust issues.

Commissioners should be limited to a single term in office, to minimise incentives to avoid investigations.

Australia Institute polling shows more than three-quarters (77%) of Tasmanians support a new, fit-for-purpose anti-corruption commission, with stronger mechanisms to investigate misconduct and corruption.

The Act of Parliament that established the commission is fundamentally flawed.

“Tasmanians are tired of politicians’ power games. They want whoever forms government to get on with governing the state. More importantly, they want them to govern with integrity, honesty and transparency,” said Eloise Carr, Director, The Australia Institute Tasmania.

“Voters feel like they have not been told the truth on issues like the dodgy AFL stadium deal, the ferry fiasco, the damage caused by commercial salmon farming and the way their taxes are spent. At least two unresolved investigations into Ministers remain outstanding.

“The commission’s current funding is so low, it begs the question of whether it’s deliberate, in order to avoid scrutiny.

“Most of Tasmania’s crossbench campaigned on strengthening Tasmania’s Integrity Commission.

“Negotiations as to who will form government are ongoing, and strengthening Tasmania’s Integrity Commission warrants consideration in those negotiations.

“If ever there was a time and a need to fix the flawed Tasmanian Integrity Commission, it is now.”

Media release – Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Attorney-General – 8 August 2025

Cleaning up integrity in Tasmanian politics once and for all

Tasmania has voted for a parliament they want to see work differently. Labor stands ready to form a government based on cooperation and collaboration, trust and accountability.

Restoring trust and integrity in Tasmanian politics will be a top order priority of a Dean Winter Labor Government.

For this parliament to work, we need to look at areas where there’s common agreement and where we can achieve meaningful reform together.

One area of common ground Labor has with the crossbench members is a desire to clean up Tasmanian politics once and for all.

Yesterday, we shared with the Independents Labor’s draft framework for collaboration and discussed our intention to implement a suite of political integrity measures.

This includes further electoral law reform, and disbanding the Integrity Commission with a proposal to replace it with a new body with the teeth and jurisdiction it needs to do the job Tasmanians expect of it.

We’re seeking to work collaboratively across the parliament to strengthen and fine-tune these measures to ensure trust and integrity can be restored.

After eleven years of a Liberal government, Tasmania has become the most secretive state in the nation.

The reflex action of this Liberal government is to hide information from public view, adding to the ongoing cynicism about politics in our state.

It has also led to immense levels of mistrust in the government from non-government MPs, and that needs to change if the next parliament is going to go the distance.

No one wants another early election.

The choice couldn’t be clearer – more of the same broken promises, failures and instability from a tired Liberal government, or a fresh start for integrity under Labor.

Labor’s draft framework for political integrity includes:

Electoral law reform
Expenditure caps for parties, candidates, third party and associated entity political participants

Integrity oversight reform
Disband the Integrity Commission, replacing it with an Anti-Corruption Commission with broader powers and jurisdiction and the resourcing it needs to do the job Tasmanians expect of it.
This includes a focus on detection, investigation and reporting of corruption, as well as prevention and education

RTI reform
Continue the RTI Uplift project being led by Professors Tim McCormack and Rick Snell, to implement their recommendations and to ensure a restoration of trust and integrity in our RTI system within agencies and in the community. The RTI system has been deeply politicised by the Liberals and that has to be reversed.

Assess the role of Ombudsman and statutory officers
Work to establish separate statutory office positions to strengthen the various jurisdictions of the Ombudsman. At present, the many hats the Ombudsman’s office wears means resources are stretched and at times there can be at least perceived conflicts of interest between jurisdictions. Thought and work needs to be put into the need to establish separate statutory office positions which could include:
Ombudsman
Health Complaints Commissioner
Custodial Inspector
National Preventative Mechanism

Review of other oversight bodies
Ensure other oversight bodies such as the EPA have the independence and jurisdiction they need to give confidence in the regulation of major Tasmanian industries

Restore the role of Public Service Commissioner
Since 2009 the roles of Public Service Commissioner and Secretary of DPAC have been jointly held by the Secretar(ies) of DPAC. There is significant benefit in splitting these roles once again, to start the work of de-politicising the public sector that has occurred under the Liberals
This re-established Public Service Commissioner role would have a function of employing and managing the State Service, establishing and enforcing new codes of conduct for public sector, ministerial staffers and offices and restoring trust and integrity.

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