Push to strengthen whistleblower protections after laws left to become ‘global embarrassment’
This article features Government Accountability Project’s Legal Director, Tom Devine, and was originally published here.
Australia’s whistleblower laws were once “an outstanding vision” when first introduced a decade ago but have been left to become a “global embarrassment”, one of the world’s leading whistleblower lawyers has warned.
Tom Devine, who has worked on reforming US whistleblower protections for decades, described Australia’s supposed shield for bureaucrats exposing potential wrongdoing as in dire need of fine-tuning.
The esteemed legal director’s comments follow the release of a new research report outlining the steps the federal government should take in order to bring the country’s whistleblowing protections in line with the US and the European Union.
The Albanese government is hoping to pass its federal anti-corruption body before the end of the year, promising to introduce a suite of updated measures to protect whistleblowers coming forward to the watchdog.
Mr Devine said while the intention of the laws were “unsurpassed globally”, the technical legal details meant it was more like “driving down a road with more potholes than pavement”.
“The Public Interest Disclosure Act, when originally passed was an outstanding vision in terms of checking the boxes and endorsing the necessary principles for whistleblower protection,” he said.
“But in terms of results, it’s a...
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