The recent review conducted by The Honourable Alan Wilson KC has recommended that sweeping changes be made to Queensland’s public sector whistleblowing legislation, including calls for a more robust, brand new Act to be introduced to replace the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (PID Act).
The purpose of the PID Act, which has been in force since 1 January 2011, is to prevent, expose and combat wrongdoing and corruption in Queensland’s public sector. The PID Act encourages whistleblowers to make confidential disclosures of wrongdoing by offering them legal protections and by obliging public sector agencies to take action on receipt of a public interest disclosure (PID).
The PID Act also supports Australia’s commitment to its international obligation in accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other G20 protocols.
In 2017, a review conducted by the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman (Ombudsman) resulted in 40 recommendations, including a suggestion to amend the PID Act to reflect current best practice (see the report, Review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010: A review pursuant to s.62 of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010).
In June 2022, Professor Peter Coaldrake issued a report, Let the sunshine in: Review of culture and accountability in the Queensland public sector (Coaldrake Review), which...
A US judge has dismissed veteran singer Smokey Robinson's defamation claim against four former housekeepers who have accused him of sexual assault. The women sued the Motown star, 86, last year fo...