October 30th 2024.
The national anti-corruption watchdog has announced that it will be revisiting its initial decision not to investigate the robodebt referrals from the royal commission. This decision comes after the watchdog uncovered a "mistake of law or fact" in their previous ruling. Inspector Gail Furness, who heads the National Anti-Corruption Commission, had previously stated in June that the commission would be looking into the six public officials referred to them by the royal commission. This had caused quite a stir, with over 900 complaints being filed.
Upon further review, Furness found that one of the commissioners, Paul Brereton, had failed to properly address a conflict of interest. Brereton had declared that he had a "close association" with one of the individuals referred to the NACC by the royal commission and had delegated the decision-making process to one of his deputies. However, Furness believes that Brereton should have removed himself entirely from the process due to this conflict of interest.
It was determined that Brereton's participation in the decision-making process was a mistake, either due to a misinterpretation of the law or a factual error. This error could potentially affect the impartiality of the commission's decision. As a result, the NACC has decided to appoint an independent "eminent person" to review the original decision and determine if it should be reconsidered.
The review revealed that the mistake made by the commissioner was a result of a misunderstanding of the extent to which a conflict of interest should have been considered. The NACC clarified that this was not a case of intentional wrongdoing or impropriety, but rather a mistake that needs to be rectified. The watchdog has stated that it will provide updates on the appointment of the independent eminent person once it has been finalized.
In the initial ruling made in June, the NACC had decided not to pursue a corruption probe into the public officials involved in the robodebt scheme. This scheme, which operated for four-and-a-half years, had resulted in over 400,000 people being issued unlawful debts totaling $1.73 billion. The royal commission also found that it had led to the deaths of three individuals, with the possibility of more.
The commissioner, Paul Brereton, has accepted responsibility for the mistake and has stated that the most important thing is to rectify it. He has also assured the public that the commission is focused on its ongoing investigations and will continue to work diligently. In the meantime, readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636. The NACC has promised to provide more updates as the situation progresses.
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