Whistleblowers must be protected to prevent next PwC tax scandal
The Human Rights Law Centre will today appear before a Parliamentary Inquiry to call for comprehensive reform of Commonwealth whistleblowing laws so that whistleblowers are protected, not punished.
While the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023 proposes discrete reforms for tax whistleblowers, a joint submission from Transparency International Australia, Griffith University’s Centre for Governance and Public Policy, and the Human Rights Law Centre calls for a single, uniform Act to protect whistleblowers across all types of private sector entities.
The groups also called for the Albanese Government to establish an independent Whistleblower Protection Authority with power to oversee and enforce protections across public and private sectors.
Whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing hold institutions to account and prevent wrongdoing. The PwC scandal underscored the failure of Australia’s whistleblower frameworks to prevent misconduct in major Australian accounting and consulting firms.
The Human Rights Law Centre will appear before the Senate Economics Legislation Committee’s Inquiry on Tuesday 9 April at 10am AEST.
Quotes attributed to Kieran Pender, Acting Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre:
“Whistleblowers should be empowered and protected to speak up about wrongdoing. But whistleblowers in Australia will continue to suffer in silence while the current inadequate whistleblower protection laws are in place. This will harm whistleblowers, and damage the integrity of Australia’s public sector, the private sector and beyond.
“By exposing corporate misdeeds, human rights abuses and government wrongdoing, whistleblowers make Australia a better place. The Albanese Government should fix the law and establish a whistleblower protection authority which can ensure that all whistleblowers, whichever their sector, are protected, not punished.”
Read the joint submission here
Watch the live-stream of hearings here
Media contact:
Thomas Feng
Media and Communications Manager
0431 285 275
thomas.feng@hrlc.org.au
Allan Government’s kneejerk law and order response will not make communities safer from racism and hate crimes
Racist and antisemitic attacks, such as the horrific arson attack on East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation have no place in our community. Every person has the right to practice their religion without fear of intimidation or vilification, and to be protected from acts of hate speech, racism and violence.
Read more
ADF whistleblower breaks fifteen year silence on sexual abuse cover-up amid calls for stronger whistleblower protections
Former RAAF airwoman Julia Delaforce represented by the Human Rights Law Centre, has broken her fifteen year silence on alleged wrongdoing and sexual abuse which was covered up by the Australian Defence Force.
Read more
Minns Government must repeal draconian anti-protest laws
The Human Rights Law Centre is reiterating calls for the Minns Government to repeal its draconian anti-protest laws, following the excessive use of force from NSW Police at a protest, resulting in one protester sustaining serious injuries.
Read moreACNC: 31 117 719 267 | Connect with the Human Rights Law Centre
Acknowledgement of Country
The Human Rights Law Centre acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia, including the lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Gadigal, Ngunnawal, Cammeraygal, Darug, Wadawurrung, Turrbal and Jagera people where we work from.
We pay our respect to Elders past and present. This land always was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
WARNING: This site contains images or names of people who have passed away.