Secret Corruption Report

Secret Corruption Report: Minister’s response raises more questions than it answers

“The Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, refused to respond to media questions about a secret corruption report, instead offering a spokeswoman Samantha Wills, who played down the contents of the report and refused to release it,"" Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection said today.

“Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Philip Moss has revealed that a secret report into a corruption investigation was delivered to Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus on March 31 this year,” Mr Pyne said.

“The investigation, described as pertaining to ‘very plausible and serious matters’ by Commissioner Moss, required him to use his special coercive powers to investigate the allegations, triggering an official report to the Minister,” he said.

“In responding to questions on behalf on the Minister, Ms Wills contradicted the Integrity Commissioner on several fronts.

“First, she claimed that the allegations in the report could not be substantiated. The Commissioner however has described the claims as ‘very plausible’. I, for one, am more interested in the opinion of the ACLEI Commissioner than the Minister’s press officer.

“Further, Ms Wills claimed the Commissioner has advised the Minister’s office not to release the report. How does this fit with the Commissioner’s evidence at the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity on 10 April where he said that while ‘in theory that could happen’ (that a Minister could sit on a report indefinitely), ‘that would not be allowed to happen’.

“This is a very serious matter. This is the first report into a corruption investigation, delivered to Mr Debus, into what has been described as ‘very plausible and serious matters’.

“The Minister, through his spokeswoman, has refused to release it.

“Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus has again demonstrated the Rudd Government’s lack of commitment to accountability and transparency.

“Despite this Government’s claims of a ‘new culture of transparency and accountability’ in practice it is showing contempt for these principles. Corruption allegations are amongst the most serious that can be made, and a full public airing of these matters is the only way to maintain the public’s confidence in government.

“Further, where a Minister is able to indefinitely hide a corruption report, it is time to review these processes ensuring complete transparency and accountability.

“The Opposition calls upon Mr Debus to personally respond to these questions and stop hiding behind his staff.

“We call on him to demonstrate that the Government’s high ideals of transparency and accountability are worth the paper they’re written on and release the report, Mr Pyne said.

“We also call on him to initiate a review of the reporting processes of the Australian Commission of Law Enforcement Integrity to ensure that a Government Minister cannot sit on a report indefinitely,” he said.

21st April 2008

Media Contact: Adam Howard, 0400 414 833