Vale The Hon. Thomas (Tim) Harrison Smith AM 5.8.1940 – 8.6.2025
Accountability Round Table is deeply saddened by the passing of its founder, Tim Smith. His tireless commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability in government and to the precept that “public...
Vale The Hon. Stephen Pendrill Charles AO KCC, 21.7.1937-13.6.2025
Accountability Round Table is greatly saddened to have lost its former director, Stephen Charles. Stephen was a tireless warrior for government accountability. Working with both Accountability Round Table and the Centre...
Vale The Hon. Dr Race Mathews, 27.3.1935 – 5.5.2025
Race Mathews was a giant force in public life. He was Gough Whitlam's private secretary while Whitlam was in opposition in Federal Parliament. During that period he was instrumental in the development of the ALP policy of...
Justice Pritchard’s Jim Carlton Lecture – Prerogative Pardons and the Rule of Law
In light of President Trump’s pardons of friends, associates and political allies, and President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, it has been observed that in a Presidential system there can occasionally, or indeed...
ART Policy - Campaign finance
ART policy - FOI
A powerful and independent freedom of information scheme must be a central feature of a functional democracy, an essential step toward enhancing transparency and accountability.
The existing basis of FOI legislation laid down in the 1980s is sound – yet over the last decade the culture has become one of secrecy and obstruction. Statutory time limits are commonly breached and redactions are the norm.
ART reforms
An Integrity System for Australia
The reforms in brief:
A National Integrity System that is proactive, preventive, coordinated and cooperative | A National Integrity Commission that is independent, has investigative powers, makes recommendations and findings of fact, can investigate the judiciary | Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner
Political donations regime & election funding
The reforms in brief:
Caps of ~$1,000 on donations | Real time disclosure | Limits on election campaign expenditure incl. third party entities | Sanctions for electoral breaches | An independent body for public funding | Laws that require truth in political advertising
Civil society engagement
The reforms in brief:
support civic participation in the OGP | value public participation in decisions and policy | recognise the benefits of public engagement, including that of women | make policy and decisions more transparent | allow NFPs freedom of expression, association and opinion | greater collaboration
see more here …
Data in politics & government
The reforms in brief:
Ban covert digital techniques of influence | remove electoral & privacy act exemptions | supervise government data collection | recognise that personal data cannot be de-identified | control profiling for political use | control government buying-in data | cover social media in advertising rules | ban government data on-selling | citizen opt-in rights
Policy on the big issues – global warming
The reforms in brief:
An evidence-based, whole of government approach to the environment | a transparent mechanism to drive down emissions | government role in decarbonizing solutions | cooling off period for public officers going into the private sector
Lobbyists
The reforms in brief:
In-house lobbyists incl. in Register | matters discussed disclosed | documents made public | funds, gifts & events declared | oversight of Code & Register by the National Integrity System | campaign donations & expenditure limits | more public engagement in decisions | Senate role in countering undue influence
Integrity Lecture, Awards
Submissions
National Integrity Commission, OAIC, OGP