Probity chief bites back

THE state’s Integrity Commission chief has hit back at a think tank report branding his organisation the nation’s most toothless.

Integrity Commission chief executive Richard Bingham says he was not consulted for The Australia Institute report and its findings were wrong.

The Institute compared Tasmania’s anti-corruption body to NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption in a report titled “Tasmania’s toothless watchdog”.

“It contains some factual errors, and ill-informed speculation about how we apply our jurisdiction and the matters we may or may not be investigating,” Mr Bingham said.

“It also contains opinions with which the Commission does not agree.”

Mr Bingham said the Institute had ignored two reports published last year on misconduct in public authorities and on the state’s fox taskforce.

He said the commission was reviewed in 2016 by former chief justice William Cox.

The Australia Institute report compares anti-corruption bodies across the states from 2012-16, finding the Tasmanian commission had not held a full inquiry using all of its investigative powers.

It found the commission had made no misconduct find- ings, held no public hearings and taken on cases involving individual employees only.

By contrast, ICAC had referred 76 people to the public prosecutor, made 123 corrupt conduct findings and 12 findings against MPs and ministers, including disgraced exLabor minister Eddie Obeid.

Critics say the commission’s powers are too limited and its funding is unreliable.

Former counsel assisting ICAC Geoffrey Watson SC said public sector crime was the most serious in the world, and Tasmania needed to take it seriously.

“It’s not perfect here and you need a proper fully funded independent agency that gets stuck into this at least to work out whether there is a problem,” he said.

Premier Will Hodgman said he was confident the commission was able to adequately perform its role.

Labor wants the commis- sion to be able to investigate public officers who resign.

Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie and Greens Leader Cassy O’Connor say its powers need bolstering.

“[It was] set up to fail and it has failed,” Mr Wilkie said.

The Jacqui Lambie Network announced a policy to create an Office of State and Public Integrity that includes whistleblower protections and promises to probe government spin doctors and advisers.