Last Wednesday, the government announced a new proposal to establish a Whistleblower Ombudsman in a bid to clarify and strengthen whistleblower protections.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said that the reforms would be designed to clarify and strengthen protections for whistleblowers, simplify the procedures for making public interest disclosures and strengthen scrutiny and oversight of the system.
"A robust public sector whistleblower framework that is effective and easy to navigate is essential for trust in government,” Rowland said.
"Through the establishment of a Whistleblower Ombudsman, we’re working to ensure disclosures are handled fairly and thoroughly, giving whistleblowers the confidence that their concerns will be taken seriously and addressed promptly."
In February this year, the crossbench put forward a bill to establish an independent whistleblower protection authority to oversee and enforce whistleblower protections and facilitate public interest disclosures.
Independent senators argued that the bill was necessary to fix Australia’s “broken” whistleblower protection laws, which had left numerous whistleblowers facing lengthy legal battles and the prospect of prison sentences following their disclosures.
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