A group of crossbenchers have joined forces to announce a new Bill to establish a Whistleblower Protection Authority that would safeguard those who speak up about corruption and wrongdoing.

Dr Helen Haines, Jacqui Lambie, Andrew Wilkie and David Pocock have said they will introduce their Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill to parliament after the summer break.

The Bill would introduce new protection laws for whistleblowers, while also establishing an independent agency to enforce the laws. It would safeguard whistleblowers across the public and private sectors.

“It is unconscionable that whistleblowers are still being prosecuted in Australia for doing the right thing and speaking up against wrongdoing,” Wilkie said on Tuesday.

“Whistleblowers make Australia a better place, but the government is failing to provide adequate support and protections, and is instead hell-bent on punishing anyone who speaks up and deterring those who might.

“A Whistleblower Protection Authority is long overdue and is something the Labor Party promised before the 2019 Federal Election. The government must end the war against whistleblowers by supporting my bill. Only then can we ensure whistleblowers are protected, not punished, prosecuted or imprisoned.”

The Bill will be introduced by Wilkie and Haines in the House of Representatives and by Senator Pocock and Senator Lambie in the Senate during the first two sitting weeks of 2025.

Professor A J Brown AM, Chair of Transparency International...

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