CPA Australia has renewed calls for the creation of a separate dedicated whistleblower protection arm to better support Australians reporting corporate and tax misconduct, as the current system involves multiple regimes and too much complexity.
The professional accounting body has used its submission to Treasury’s consultation on tax and corporate whistleblowing to emphasise that the lack of consistency between the existing whistleblower regimes has contributed to a culture of uncertainty when it comes to reporting misconduct, with many unsure of “who is protected, what can be disclosed and where disclosures should be made”.
While these barriers essentially discourage people from making such reports, the proposed Whistleblower Protection Office is designed to offer independent support and help with navigating the many whistleblowing regimes, guiding people to the most appropriate regulator to make their disclosures.
CPA Australia Regulations and Standards Lead, Belinda Zohrab, said the office will ensure those reporting misconduct can do so “confidently and without fear”.
“Whistleblowers play an important role in identifying corporate and tax misconduct, but the current framework – particularly in the corporate regime – can be difficult for ordinary people to navigate,” she said.
“A person considering whether to report wrongdoing is likely to be focused on three things: whether they will remain anonymous, whether they will be protected from harm, and whether they are...
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