But a key parliamentary committee refused to support the CCC’s request. That means the government will now be considering other reforms,and a new chair,while it decides the agency’s funding for 2022-23.
Prominent Queensland civil libertarian lawyer Terry O’Gorman has long argued for a review of the state’s anti-corruption agency and framework. He believes much has changed since the landmark inquiry by Tony Fitzgerald ushered in changes leading to the creation of the CCC.
“Let’s move away from the congratulatory seminar of ‘wasn’t Fitzgerald great 30 years ago’ and let’s focus on one of the main things that Fitzgerald said in his report 30 years ago,namely that after 30 years,there will be slippage,there will be the temptation to the bad old days,” Mr O’Gorman said.
The CCC,which continues to investigate corruption and serious organised crime,must go cap in hand to the Cabinet Budget Review Committee for funding. The committee consists of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk,Treasurer Cameron Dick,and two other senior ministers.
The CCC’s current annual funding of $65 million is paid quarterly under the authority of Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman,who also fields the agency’s budget requests.
Yet in NSW and Victoria,the anti-corruption agencies are funded directly from consolidated revenue,without having to apply to members of the executive.
The CCC has been pushing for a similar change in Queensland. Mr MacSporran told a public hearing last year the agency would argue the case for financial independence.
“The funding model recommendation seeks to ensure that the CCC has genuine structural independence from government and is not subject to funding decisions by an entity over which the CCC is meant to exercise oversight,” he said at the time.
“This is consistent with changes to the funding model of interstate integrity agencies that have either been progressed or adopted.”
However,Queensland’s Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee,which oversees the CCC,argued there were significant differences between the agency and those interstate.
In rejecting the call for financial independence,the committee noted that the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption was not responsible to any minister,“unlike the CCC,which must report to the minister on the CCC’s efficiency,effectiveness,economy and timeliness”.
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Mr MacSporran had come under intense criticism,particularly from the local government sector,following several failed CCC prosecutions.
The CCC’s relationship with government and approach to transparency has also been controversial.
Announcing his resignation this week,Mr MacSporran acknowledged his relationship with the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee had broken down and the public needed to have confidence in the CCC.
“The Queensland community rightly expects the CCC to do its statutory job,and that ultimately involves making very complex,tough and independent decisions as an investigative agency,” he said in a statement.
An acting chair for the CCC is likely to be appointed from one of the existing or previousCCC parliamentary commissionerswhile the government finalises other reforms recommended by the committee.