National Anti-Corruption Commission
The National Anti-Corruption Commission commenced operations on 1 July 2023.
Please visit the NACC website for more information.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is an independent Australian Government agency that detects, investigates and reports on serious or systemic corrupt conduct in the Australian Government public sector. The NACC also educates the public service and the public about corruption risks and prevention.
The NACC commenced operations on 1 July 2023. Please visit the NACC website for more information, including how to make a referral to the NACC.
This short video explains the NACC and its work.
Corruption has no place in the Australian public sector.
When our integrity falters, we begin to lose the public's trust.
And without the trust and support of the community, our ability to serve the government, the Parliament and the Australian public is diminished.
That's why on the 30th of November 2022, the Australian Parliament passed legislation to keep the Commonwealth public sector free of serious and systemic corruption through the establishment of a transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission, also known as the NACC.
As part of a broader federal integrity framework, the NACC is an agency with a dedicated focus on detecting and investigating serious or systemic corruption.
So who can the NACC investigate?
The short answer is public officials and those who might try to corrupt them.
It's a broad jurisdiction that could include anyone from government agency employees and contracted service providers all the way to Commonwealth ministers, parliamentarians and their staff.
And in certain circumstances, the NACC can even investigate people who aren't public officials.
There are four types of serious or systemic corruption that the NACC can investigate a breach of public trust, an abuse of office, misuse of information or anything that could adversely affect a public official’s honesty or impartiality in their official capacity.
We all have a role to play in upholding integrity in the Commonwealth public sector.
Remember, anyone can report corrupt conduct, including corruption that occurred before the establishment of the NACC.
It's also important to know that when you report corruption to the Commission, you will be protected, including protection from civil, criminal or administrative liability such as disciplinary action.
So let's safeguard integrity in our public sector and uphold the trust Australians have placed in us.
To report corruption, or learn more about the National Anti-Corruption Commission go to www.nacc.gov.au
Transcript ends
NACC Commissioners
The Hon Paul Brereton AM RFD SC was appointed as Commissioner of the NACC, commencing on 1 July 2023 for a 5-year term.
Ms Nicole Rose PSM and Dr Ben Gauntlett were appointed as Deputy Commissioners, commencing on 1 July 2023 for a 5-year term.
Ms Kylie Kilgour was appointed as a Deputy Commissioner, commencing on 12 February 2024 for a 5-year term.
NACC Inspector
The Inspector of the NACC is an independent officer of the NACC and Parliament. Their role is to investigate reports of serious or systemic conduct within the NACC, investigate complaints of maladministration or officer misconduct in the NACC, and to audit the NACC’s operations.
Ms Gail Furness SC was appointed as the Inspector of the NACC on a part-time basis for a 7-year term, commencing 1 July 2023.
Please visit the NACC Inspector’s website for more information, including how to make a complaint to the NACC Inspector.
This page provides a general overview of the NACC, and describes the NACC’s purpose, functions and powers under the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022 (NACC Act).
Why we need the National Anti-Corruption Commission
The potential for corruption within government contributes to a decline in trust. Corruption can involve the misuse of government resources, which means there is less available to provide the services Australians need, such as health care, social security, education and national security.
The NACC seeks to prevent corruption in the Commonwealth government by:
- investigating it thoroughly and telling the public about what is discovered
- educating the public sector (and the public) on how to prevent it in the future.
What the NACC does
The NACC is an independent agency that prevents, detects, investigates and reports on serious or systemic corruption in the Commonwealth public sector.
It also educates the public service, and the public, about corruption risks and prevention.
Visit the NACC website for more information about their work.
What is corrupt conduct The NACC is able to investigate allegations of serious or systemic corrupt conduct in the Commonwealth public sector. The terms serious and systemic are not defined under the NACC Act. It is up to the NACC to decide whether, in their opinion, a matter could involve serious or systemic corrupt conduct.
Under the NACC Act, the NACC can investigate any person, if they have potentially done something that has or could adversely affect a public official’s honesty or impartiality in the way they carry out their official duties.
The NACC can investigate public officials if they:
- adversely affect their own, or another public official’s honesty or impartiality in the way they carry out their official duties
- breach public trust
- abuse their office as a public official
- misuse information they have gained in their capacity as a public official.
Read more about what corrupt conduct is on the NACC website.
The NACC investigates corrupt conduct within the Commonwealth public sector
The NACC investigates allegations of serious or systemic corruption within the Commonwealth public sector. This includes conduct that occurred before or after it was established.
The NACC has a range of investigative powers, including to:
- enter Commonwealth premises and require Commonwealth information without a warrant
- make people and organisations give the NACC documents and items and allow the NACC to search their property
- conduct private hearings and, if it is in the public interest and exceptional circumstances justify doing so, conduct public hearings
- access a range of covert investigative capabilities, such as intercepting telecommunications.
The NACC is not required or able to investigate every corruption issue, even if they believe it could be serious or systemic. If the NACC decides not to investigate a corruption issue, or believes a corruption issue is not serious or systemic, they may deal with it in other ways – for example, by referring it to another agency to deal with. The NACC may also decide to take no action.
The NACC works to prevent corruption in the Commonwealth public sector
The NACC works with Commonwealth agencies to help prevent corruption.
This includes:
- raising awareness and providing training to people who work in the Australian Government public sector about preventing, detecting and reporting corruption
- providing corruption prevention and education products based on research and analysis of corruption risks and trends
- making recommendations to prevent corruption (including identifying risks and vulnerabilities) based on issues it finds during its investigations.
The NACC can also conduct public inquiries into corruption risks, vulnerabilities and prevention activities in government agencies.
Who the NACC can investigate
The NACC investigates alleged corrupt conduct involving Australian Government public officials. Public officials under the NACC Act include:
- Members and senators of the Commonwealth Parliament including ministers, and their staff
- employees and contractors of Commonwealth agencies and Commonwealth companies
- holders of Commonwealth statutory offices.
However, the NACC can also investigate any person, even if they are not a public official, who does something that causes or could cause a public official to carry out their official duties in a dishonest or biased way.
The NACC can only investigate matters relating to Australian Government public officials. It cannot investigate concerns about state, territory or local government officials. Each state and territory has a similar integrity or anti-corruption commission that may be able to investigate those matters.
The NACC cannot investigate judges, the Governor-General and Royal Commissioners.
Oversight of the NACC
It is important that someone oversees the NACC to make sure it uses its powers appropriately and complies with the law.
The NACC is overseen by:
- A Parliamentary Joint Committee consisting of parliamentarians from across the Parliament. This committee reviews the NACC’s performance and budget. It also approves the appointments of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, and Inspector of the NACC.
- An independent Inspector. The Inspector investigates corruption issues and complaints about the NACC, and also looks at how the NACC uses its powers.