Joint Submission to Senate Inquiry into the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment Bill 2022
The Human Rights Law Centre, Griffith University’s Centre for Governance & Public Policy and Transparency International Australia have called for a comprehensive reform process to ensure stronger protections for Australian whistleblowers, building on initial announcements by the Albanese government about its first steps.
In a joint submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022, the organisations welcomed the Government’s first, largely-technical phase of reform to the Public Interest Disclosure Act, which protects federal public servant whistleblowers.
Of 21 areas for reform identified in Protecting Australia’s Whistleblowers: The Federal Roadmap, published by the organisations in November 2022, the Bill only addresses one reform in full and four in-part. A new edition of the Roadmap updated to reflect the Bill has been published alongside the submission.