The Commission has identified 3 areas of focus for its corruption prevention and education work in 2024.
1. Conflicts of interest
Conflicts of interest happen when public officials have personal connections or interests that could be affected by the decisions they make in their jobs. Not every conflict leads to corrupt conduct, but there is a conflict of interest at the heart of most corruption.
Conflicts of interest are inevitable. Public officials must be able to identify them and manage them properly to prevent them becoming integrity issues. The Commission’s first focus is to educate the public sector on managing conflicts of interest. We will be releasing practical guidance on this important subject in coming weeks.
2. Ethical decision-making
Recent controversies have highlighted the challenges public servants face when they need to balance ministerial and government expectations with ethical decision-making. Corruption happens when public decision-making is manipulated for personal benefit. The Commission will provide education and support to public decision-makers to help them make ethical decisions through established, transparent and fair processes.
3. The electoral process
A federal election takes place in just over a year, so it is timely to focus on corruption issues and vulnerabilities that can arise in the context of an election. The Commission will provide education on corruption risks related to grants, political donations and fundraising, foreign interference, government advertising and appointments.
Commissioner Brereton first spoke about these priorities at ‘Rebuilding trust and integrity in the Australian Public Service’. See full transcript.