The State Development Bill 2025 (WA) has been presented by the WA Gov as: … bold new legislation… to unlock strategic precincts, fast-track approvals for major strategic projects around the State, and maintain WA as the strongest economy in the nation. But... 1/ #auspol

With the Government moving the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 through the House, the Centre for Public Integrity has published fact-checks addressing recent Government claims made in response to parliamentary questions about the Bill. 1/ #auspol

In this report, the Centre assesses the Government’s actions — and inaction — across these key democratic safeguards: 🧐transparency 🎩appointments 🤝limits on undue influence 💪bolstering public service ⚖️supporting institutions that hold power to account. 1/ #auspol

Geoffrey Watson SC, director at the Centre for Public Integrity, said it appeared to be an "entirely understandable, simple error". 1/ #auspol www.canberratimes.com.au/story/909036...

Centre for Public Integrity research director Gabrielle Appleby said parliament needed to lead on government oversight rather than purely leaving it to integrity bodies. 1/ #auspol thewest.com.au/politics/law...

Join Us Live Online (Now): Anti-Corruption Commissions Why they are undermined and towards best practice. eventbrite.com/e/anti-corru... #auspol

Opposition Leader, Sussan Ley MP, has written strongly today opposing the FOI reform. The Centre welcomes this position. This is now an opportunity to reset. 1/ #auspol www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908628...

As Catherine Williams and Gabrielle Appleby of the Centre for Public Integrity noted in a piece for The AFR on Tuesday, the Senate inquiry into the bill received “virtually unanimous damning assessments” in its submissions inbox, which closed last week. 1/ #auspol

The Centre has four key problems with the FOI reform. A that lacks evidence for justification despite repeated requests. 1/ www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

In opposition, the prime minister talked a big game on transparency. It’s about time he walked the walk on open government. ~ Opinion piece by the Centre's ED Dr Catherine Williams and Research Director Professor Gabrielle Appleby #auspol www.afr.com/politics/fed...

Australia’s leading integrity, human rights and media freedom organisations have united to denounce the Government’s Freedom of Information Amendment Bill, warning the reforms will lead to greater government secrecy and less accountability. 1/ #auspol

William Partlett, Stephen Charles Fellow at the Centre for Public Integrity, says the controversy over Brereton’s Defence consultancy shows a repeated failure to recognise how perceptions of bias erode trust in the NACC. 1/ #auspol www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/2025/10...

"Labor’s controversial changes to FOI laws risk “deliberately enshrining secrecy and obfuscation”, with the Centre for Public Integrity raising fresh alarm over the government’s apparent attempt to keep more documents secret." 1/ #auspol www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/polit...

Director of the Centre for Public Integrity Geoffrey Watson says he was disappointed by Commissioner Brereton's consultancy for the IGADF. 1/ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09... #auspol

Media release: Tasmania Leads on Transparency as Canberra Winds Back Australians’ Right to Know #auspol

There's only been 15 sitting days since the election in May, and in those 15 days there have been 30 mentions of the Centre's report in Parliament ~ Senator David Pocock introducing the Centre's Executive Director, Dr Catherine Williams #auspol www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3cx...

Want to know more what the proposed FOI changes mean and what top experts think of them? Join us for an excellent (and free) webinar at 12.30pm on Monday 22 September Featuring: 1/ #auspol www.eventbrite.com.au/e/foi-at-a-c...

"Everyone agreed that the FOI legislation is in need of updating. And so we were anticipating this legislation..." ~ the Centre's Head of Research Prof Gabrielle Appleby 1/ #auspol www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast...

Centre for Public Integrity head of research Gabrielle Appleby said Ms Rowland’s promise to remove barriers to public servants delivering “frank and fearless” advice was a reference to the widening of exemptions for cabinet documents. 1/ #auspol www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/lawye...

Professor Gabrielle Appleby, Head of Research at the Centre, discussed transparency concerns in relation to the proposed FOI amendments: youtu.be/lRlwZiGxA0Y?... #auspol

Media release from the Centre on the Federal Government's FOI Amendment Bill #auspol

Retired Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy KC, the chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, said he believed there was a “big question mark” over the deal. 1/ #auspol www.theage.com.au/politics/que...

In 2018, the Senate Select Committee on the Political Influence of Donations Report companies explained that some or the majority of political donations made by them were as a ‘fee-for-service’ A 🧵on some examples of the access we know fossil fuel interests buy. 1/ #auspol

This afternoon in the Senate, the Opposition and crossbench supported @davidpocock.bsky.social's order to produce the Briggs public sector board appointments review. 1/ #auspol

The statements reported today from the Shooters Unions are a rare public revelation of the work of many of these lobbyists – how organised they are, their objectives, their strategy, and how influential they perceive that they are with govt 1/ #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

"The telling part of all of this is that they made a decision to redact, even though they were in doubt as to whether they had the power to do so" ~ Centre director Geoffrey Watson SC 1/ #auspol www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Catherine Williams from the Centre for Public Integrity says the reports contain a “wealth of information essential for both parliamentary and public scrutiny” of government performance. 1/ #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Geoffrey Watson, SC, a director of the Centre for Public Integrity who led prosecutions by NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption in several campaign finance-related cases, said the government's argument was "specious". 1/ #auspol www.afr.com/politics/fed...

Chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, Anthony Whealy, describes lobbying and the flow of senior government and bureaucratic figures into the industry as a “very nasty disease” that “needs a good vaccination”. 1/ #auspol www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Centre Chair Anthony Whealy: "there should be a minimum three-year “cooling-off period” before politicians, senior officials and senior ADF figures take up private employment in fields that related to their duties while in public life." #auspol www.smh.com.au/national/bat...

The Centre's Professor Gabrielle Appleby, writing in The Conversation: "Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government. It promotes good government, spurring those in power into better practice." 1/ #auspol theconversation.com/governments-...

"The alarming deterioration in transparency is deeply troubling," says Geoffrey Watson, whose Centre for Public Integrity compiled the figures. "With the Albanese govs supermajority, the risk of entrenched secrecy becomes greater, undermining democratic accountability." #auspol

The centre’s director, Geoffrey Watson, called on the Albanese government to “reverse this worrying trend to restore the public’s right to know.” 1/ #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

1/ 🚨 NEW RESEARCH 🚨 Transparency in Australia's democracy is declining under the Albanese Government, posing serious threats to accountability. Here's what you need to know 👇 #auspol

"Failure by executive government to comply with orders by the parliament for the production of documents shows us that the democratic process is not working as it should in Victoria" ~ Executive Director Catherine Williams #auspol #integritymatters www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

Stephen Rice in the Australian: "But despite a budget of well over $100m a year and more than 260 staff, the commission’s performance has been lacklustre." www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/secre... 1/ #auspol

Gabrielle Appleby, a constitutional law professor at the University of NSW and director at the Centre for Public Integrity, a think tank that advocates against corruption, described Mr Kaiser’s ­appointment by Labor as “particularly disappointing”. 1/ www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/smell...

We released a new report this morning on the broken state of lobbying in Australia. In this thread, we cover 14 ways to improve it. 1/ #auspol

A new paper from the Centre for Public Integrity shows federal lobbying rules are seriously lacking, and fail to deliver on transparency, integrity and equality.

South Australia has always done things differently. On July 1, 2025, political donations were effectively banned, and public funding was brought in for elections. Politicians across the aisles voted for this. 1/ #auspol

The decision to keep their names a secret is one that has perplexed Geoffrey Watson SC a director at the Centre for Public Integrity. 1/ #auspol www.canberratimes.com.au/story/900535...

Director Geoffrey Watson SC: "On the eve of its second birthday, the National Anti-Corruption Commission was able to celebrate by announcing its first finding of misconduct against a public official." 1/ #auspol www.theage.com.au/national/ant...

Centre Chair Anthony Whealy KC: "I think there is a tendency both federally and at state and territory levels for governments to lack accountability when it is required. That is what it is really about." 1/ #auspol www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Public law expert and Director of the Centre for Public Integrity Joo-Cheong Tham believes the offer potentially constitutes corrupt conduct as defined by Victoria’s peak anti-corruption agency, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission 1/ #auspol www.smh.com.au/politics/vic...

From Helen Haines (@helenhainesindi.bsky.social): Australia has lost a towering figure in the law and in public life with the passing of the Honourable Stephen Charles AO KC. Stephen Charles was a man of immense intellect, principle and generosity. 1/ #auslaw #auspol

The Hon Anthony Whealy KC, Chair of the Centre and dear friend of Stephen, has written this heart-warming tribute to Stephen. #auslaw #auspol

A tribute: The Hon Stephen Charles AO KC The Centre for Public Integrity Board and staff are deeply saddened by the passing of our much-loved founding Board member, the Hon Stephen Charles AO KC. 1/

Centre for Public Integrity director Geoffrey Watson SC said it was not uncommon for governments across Australia to host influential business leaders at major sporting events. 1/ #auspol

Whistleblowers are vital for a well-functioning democracy. They should be protected, not punished. #auspol #integritymatters

.... election integrity expert Joo-Cheong Tham called for an investigation into the Brethren’s activities under Commonwealth electoral law. 1/ #auspol www.smh.com.au/national/vic...