In its first few days of operation, the recently constituted National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has received a deluge of reports.
The NACC has received more than 100 calls on top of roughly 200 internet recommendations in the four full days since it formally opened its doors on Saturday.
The majority of those arrived in the previous two days.
“Commissioner (Paul) Brereton announced there had been 44 referrals made via the NACC’s online form since the website had become active on July 1,” a NACC representative said in a statement on the morning of Monday, July 3.
“By the end of business on July 4, 2023, 186 reports had been sent via the webform, and 116 calls had been answered by the intake team.
“About 60 of the referrals are for topics that have received significant media attention.”
Senator Barbara Pocock, a Green, made one of those when she brought the PwC tax issue to the NACC on Saturday.
She claimed that as a concerned member of the Australian public, “any Australian citizen can refer instances of corruption in government to the NACC and that is what I have done today.”
Brereton stated on Monday that only a “very small proportion” of the matters forwarded to the NACC will necessitate a thorough inquiry.
There are also rumours that Stuart Robert, a former Coalition minister, will be referred to the organisation due to claims that a consultancy firm intended to provide him money in exchange for assistance in obtaining government contracts.
Bill Shorten, minister of the NDIS and government services, is consulting with his department about the situation.
Robert has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Additionally, coalition senator Linda Reynolds stated that the Commonwealth’s payment of Brittany Higgins’ compensation “demands the attention of the National Anti-Corruption Commission” and that she may send the matter to the new body.
