Officials wash hands of divisive Labor election grants Senior ministers are facing heat over the project selection process used to determine recipients in a $560 million grant scheme favouring Labor electorates. AAP · Oct 8
Albanese is under fire over a grants program that benefited his local golf club. Were any rules broken? The majority of grants under the $560m Labor program are given to seats held by the party before the election The Guardian - AU · Sep 10
Government must be more transparent about who gets community grants – and why Australian governments have an unfortunate history with community grants programs. Sports infrastructure programs, car park grants and other schemes have repeatedly raised the same concern: public money intended to serve communities becomes entangled with electoral politics. The Conversation · Sep 7
We need a new anti-corruption commissioner. Here’s how to pick the right one The abrupt resignation of the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton is a pivotal moment for the federal watchdog. For years, questions over the commissioner’s leadership arising from concerns about his ability to manage conflicts of interest had undermined public confidence and trust in a key Australian integrity institution. The Conversation · May 26
Is Australian democracy eroding? Across the world, concern about democratic backsliding – the erosion of democratic institutions and civil liberties – is growing. The Conversation · May 5
Hate speech laws after Bondi attack were rushed: report Laws to strengthen Australia's security in the wake of the Bondi shootings were rushed, according to a new report from the Centre for Public Integrity. AAP · Feb 20
Palmer fights election caps despite failed $50m spend Changes to how much money political parties can spend on elections and how much people can donate to candidates will be challenged in Australia's highest court. AAP · Feb 4
Parliamentary Friends of Aukus group sponsored by lobbying firm with high-profile defence clients Exclusive: Greens condemn sponsorship of group’s launch by Precision Public Affairs, which represents clients with lucrative contracts with the Australian government The Guardian - AU · Dec 17, 2025
‘Serious gaps’ in Labor’s environment laws undermine attempt to fix broken system, integrity experts say Pressure mounts on federal government to rethink controversial ‘national interest’ exemption for projects The Guardian - AU · Nov 4, 2025
Albanese government gets F on its integrity report card More secrecy, a failure to curb the influence of lobbyists and diminishing accountability have scuppered the Albanese government's transparency record. AAP · Oct 28, 2025
Yes, freedom of information laws need updating, but not like the government is proposing The issue of open government and Freedom of Information (FOI) is again in the news, after the federal government proposed major reforms to the system. The Conversation · Sep 4, 2025
Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government. The Conversation · Aug 1, 2025
Labor secrecy 'worse than under five-ministry Morrison' A failure to release federal government documents despite Labor's pledge to be more transparent has been slammed, fuelling questions about what's being hidden. AAP · Jul 24, 2025
Albanese government worse than Morrison era at producing documents for public scrutiny, report finds Labor’s first term saw second-worst performance since 1993 in complying with Senate orders for documents, data shows The Guardian - AU · Jul 23, 2025
AAP · Jul 10, 2025 No lobbying reform commitment after transparency call A scathing assessment of how corporate interests lobby federal politicians has sparked calls for stronger laws and oversight to protect trust in democracy.
The Conversation · Nov 19, 2024 Political finance law reforms will reduce big money in politics, but will rich donors be the ultimate winners? Political funding in Australia has long been shrouded in secrecy. It is also dominated by large donations and unrestrained spending, courtesy of laissez-faire federal political finance laws.
The Guardian - AU · Jun 17, 2024 ‘More secretive than the Morrison government’: Labor accused of transparency failure Independent MPs are frustrated by the Albanese government’s slow progress, saying its actions have not matched its words
The Guardian - AU · Nov 13, 2023 Firms that donate to political parties twice as likely to win government contracts, analysis finds Transparency group says donating companies should be banned from government contracts but constitutional expert disagrees
The Guardian - AU · Jul 17, 2023 Australian government spending on big four consultancy firms up 1,270% in a decade, analysis shows PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY face scrutiny as critics warn core functions of democracy should not be outsourced
The Guardian - AU · Jul 11, 2023 KPMG and Deloitte refuse to join PwC in banning political donations in Australia Analysis finds PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY donated $4.3m to Labor and the Coalition over the past decade
The Guardian - AU · Jul 10, 2023 PwC announces it will cease donations to political parties as part of attempt to rebuild reputation Consulting firm’s self-imposed ban follows scandal over misuse of confidential government tax information
The Guardian - AU · Jul 4, 2023 ‘Corrosive impact’: calls to ban political donations from Australia’s big four consultancies after PwC scandal The firm along with Deloitte, EY and KPMG donated $4.3m to Labor and Coalition in past decade as government contracts increased by 400%, analysis shows