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Wikipedia baseline:Centre for Public Integrity (Australia)

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Australian think tank

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Centre for Public Integrity
Established2019
FocusCorruption
Accountability institutions
ChairAnthony Whealy
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Websitepublicintegrity.org.au

The Centre for Public Integrity (CPI) is an Australian non-profit public policy think tank. The Centre for Public Integrity advocates against corruption, and for reining in executive power and changes to Australia's political finance system. The Centre collaborates with academics, legal practitioners and retired judges to conduct research on integrity reform in Australia.

History

The Centre for Public Integrity (CPI[1][2]) was founded in 2019 by a group of former judges, lawyers, and integrity experts, headed by former New South Wales Court of Appeal judge Anthony Whealy. The centre aimed to advocate for the establishment of a strong federal anti-corruption body and the reform of laws governing donations and lobbying, as well as protecting legitimate media and other institutions that hold other accountable.[3] On 17 July 2019 it launched the Integrity Reform Agenda at New South Wales Parliament House.[4][5]

Governance and funding

The Centre for Public Integrity is a registered research institute and charity, funded by philanthropic foundations and public donations. Donations from political parties, unions, religious organisations, or other entities "whose values do not align with our mission" are not accepted. Board members and the experts consulted perform their work for free. The Myer Foundation is one of its major donors.[6]

As of July 2026[update] the Centre's board of directors is chaired by Anthony Whealy. Members of the Board include George Williams, Allen Fels, Margaret White, Michael Barker, Emma Maple-Brown, Joo Cheong Tham, and Geoffrey Watson SC. Catherine Williams is executive director.[7]

The eminent former jurist Stephen Charles served on the board until his death in June 2025.[7]

Mission and research

The CPI states that it is "an independent research institute dedicated to restoring integrity to the foundations of Australia's democracy" that "work[s] to prevent corruption, protect the integrity of our accountability institutions, rein in executive power, and eliminate the undue influence of big money in politics".[8]

The Centre for Public Integrity's research agenda focuses on accountability institutions,[9] the use of executive power in the Australian government,[10] Australia's political finance system,[11] the establishment of a national integrity commission,[12] and pork barrelling.[13][14]

Activities

In 2023, the centre undertook analysis that found that multinational consulting firms PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, and Ernst & Young had donated A$4.3m to Labor and the Coalition parties over the previous ten years, during which their government contracts increased by 400% in value.[15]

In April 2025, it collaborated with The Australia Institute, the Australian Democracy Network, and Transparency International Australia to determine six key changes to address unfairness in the new federal political finance regulations.[16]

In November 2025, it was announced that South Australia would be using work done by the Centre for Public Integrity and the South Australian ICAC to revise lobbying rules in the state.[17]

In February 2026, it published a report titled "Lawmaking with Integrity", which highlighted significant concerns regarding the creation of legislation in Australia, and proposed four "integrity safeguards" that should be introduced by Parliament.[18][19] In April 2026, the CPI published a document entitled "Protecting Integrity", in which it outlined that the independence of organisations that monitor government depends on "three key levers: funding, appointments, and oversight".[20][1] In May 2026, the Centre, along with independent senator David Pocock, criticised the funding allocation for the Australian National Audit Office, which independently audits the work of government departments, in the Albanese government's budget.[21]

In July 2026, Anthony Whealy analysed expenditure on political campaigning by South Australian anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe, and said that Howe appeared to have broken the state's law requiring that individuals or organisations who receive donations of over $1000 or spend over $5,000 on political campaigning during the official reporting period are required to declare that money.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b Kelly, Christopher (2 June 2026). "Protecting integrity agencies". Government News. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  2. ^ "Senators urged to flex muscles to stop Labor inaction". The Centre for Public Integrity. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  3. ^ Knaus, Christopher (26 July 2019). "National security being used to stifle public interest journalism, former judges warn". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  4. ^ "Integrity Research Organisations". Accountability Round Table. 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  5. ^ "Integrity Reform Agenda" (PDF). Centre for Public Integrity. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  6. ^ "What We Stand For". The Centre for Public Integrity. 12 February 2025. Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Who We Are". The Centre for Public Integrity. 9 June 2026. Archived from the original on 3 July 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  8. ^ "Grant Rules Undermined: The Government's Use of Invitation-only Funding" (PDF). Centre for Public Integrity. 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  9. ^ Knaus, Christopher (18 May 2022). "More than 30 retired judges call for 'urgently needed' federal Icac". Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  10. ^ Williams, Catherine (30 November 2021). "Watchful optimism about Victoria's new pandemic bill". The Age. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  11. ^ Faine, Jon (15 May 2022). "In politics, money talks, and loudly". The Age. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  12. ^ Charles, Stephen (16 April 2022). "Morrison and his cabinet are frightened of an effective integrity commission". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  13. ^ Davies, Ann (1 June 2022). "Pork-barrelling should be banned and grant process overhauled, report for Icac says". Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  14. ^ Stayner, Tom (11 November 2021). "'Standards have slipped dramatically': Integrity experts warn of more pork-barrelling". SBS. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  15. ^ Belot, Henry (11 July 2023). "KPMG and Deloitte refuse to join PwC in banning political donations in Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  16. ^ "Six reforms to fix Australia's new, deeply flawed political finance regime". The Australia Institute. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  17. ^ Holmes, Dan (17 November 2025). "South Australia to reform lobbying rules". The Mandarin. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  18. ^ Appleby, Gabrielle (5 May 2026), Is Australian democracy eroding?, The Conversation, doi:10.64628/aa.6scph4kht
  19. ^ "Lawmaking with Integrity". The Centre for Public Integrity. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  20. ^ "Protecting Integrity: A Factsheet by the Centre for Public Integrity: Fixing Funding, Appointments and Oversight" (PDF). Centre for Public Integrity. April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  21. ^ McIlroy, Tom (16 May 2026). "'A watchdog without resources is not a watchdog': Labor accused of letting key accountability body languish". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  22. ^ Barbour, Lucy; Burns, Andy (3 July 2026). "Calls for investigation into anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe's campaign spending". ABC News. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
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