The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Select Committee on the Establishment of a National Integrity Commission. With recent polling conducted by the Australia Institute revealing 85% of Australians believe there is corruption in federal politics, and ongoing scandals showing evidence of this, it is time for a National Integrity Commission (federal ICAC) to be given the powers to systematically investigate corruption at a federal level.

A federal ICAC would help restore trust in government. Designed correctly, with a broad jurisdiction and the power to conduct public hearings, a federal ICAC would publicly expose and deter systemic corruption, and fill the gaps in our current integrity system.