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| Icac weakening due to budget cuts and job losses, union and NSW Labor warn | Icac weakening due to budget cuts and job losses, union and NSW Labor warn |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Successive budget cuts and job losses are weakening the New South Wales’ Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac), the state’s public service union and Labor opposition have warned. | Successive budget cuts and job losses are weakening the New South Wales’ Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac), the state’s public service union and Labor opposition have warned. |
| Last month’s NSW state budget included a relatively small cut of $258,000 to Icac funding. The cuts, while modest, continue a gradual reduction in the agency’s budget over the past four years. | Last month’s NSW state budget included a relatively small cut of $258,000 to Icac funding. The cuts, while modest, continue a gradual reduction in the agency’s budget over the past four years. |
| Cuts in the 2015-16 budget caused it to lose five investigators, the ABC reported earlier this year. The latest cuts will largely come from the Icac’s staffing budget, though it is unclear how many staff could be lost. | Cuts in the 2015-16 budget caused it to lose five investigators, the ABC reported earlier this year. The latest cuts will largely come from the Icac’s staffing budget, though it is unclear how many staff could be lost. |
| The resignation of the former commissioner, Megan Latham, in November caused a significant underspend by Icac last financial year. | The resignation of the former commissioner, Megan Latham, in November caused a significant underspend by Icac last financial year. |
| The agency spent $21.6m from a budget of $23.5m. Latham resigned amid a restructure that would have forced her to reapply for her job. | The agency spent $21.6m from a budget of $23.5m. Latham resigned amid a restructure that would have forced her to reapply for her job. |
| At the time, the opposition leader, Luke Foley, said she was forced out after overseeing an investigation into the Liberals donations scandal. | At the time, the opposition leader, Luke Foley, said she was forced out after overseeing an investigation into the Liberals donations scandal. |
| The NSW Public Service Association, which represents Icac workers, said the successive cuts are causing job losses. | The NSW Public Service Association, which represents Icac workers, said the successive cuts are causing job losses. |
| The agency had 126 full-time equivalent employees in 2013-14, but was reduced to 109 in 2015-16, the association said. | The agency had 126 full-time equivalent employees in 2013-14, but was reduced to 109 in 2015-16, the association said. |
| The union’s general secretary, Stewart Little, condemned the budget cuts, warning they were weakening the agency. | The union’s general secretary, Stewart Little, condemned the budget cuts, warning they were weakening the agency. |
| “Cuts to Icac are nothing more than the NSW government attempting to issue a get-out-of-jail-free card for itself and all its business mates,” Little said. | “Cuts to Icac are nothing more than the NSW government attempting to issue a get-out-of-jail-free card for itself and all its business mates,” Little said. |
| “This government has privatised the land titles registry, disability services, out-of-home care for vulnerable children, prisons, public housing and more, all without proper scrutiny,” he said. | “This government has privatised the land titles registry, disability services, out-of-home care for vulnerable children, prisons, public housing and more, all without proper scrutiny,” he said. |
| “The last thing this state needs is even less scrutiny of process involving the sale of these critical services but that is exactly what the state government wants.” | “The last thing this state needs is even less scrutiny of process involving the sale of these critical services but that is exactly what the state government wants.” |
| But the NSW government said funding levels had remained largely consistent in recent years. The government said it would monitor the workload of Icac and provide additional funding where necessary, as done in the past. | But the NSW government said funding levels had remained largely consistent in recent years. The government said it would monitor the workload of Icac and provide additional funding where necessary, as done in the past. |
| A spokesman for the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said funding levels were still well above the last Labor offering – $19.8m in 2010/11. | A spokesman for the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said funding levels were still well above the last Labor offering – $19.8m in 2010/11. |
| “Icac has been provided temporary supplementation in the past including about $1.3m in 2015-16, reflecting the high level of activity in that year,” the spokesman said. | “Icac has been provided temporary supplementation in the past including about $1.3m in 2015-16, reflecting the high level of activity in that year,” the spokesman said. |
| “Consistent with previous practice, the need for any additional funding will be assessed throughout the financial year to ensure that the Icac continues to be fully equipped to investigate, expose and prevent corruption at all times,” he said. | “Consistent with previous practice, the need for any additional funding will be assessed throughout the financial year to ensure that the Icac continues to be fully equipped to investigate, expose and prevent corruption at all times,” he said. |
| But Labor’s shadow attorney general, Paul Lynch, said the funding cuts were a bid to punish the Icac. | But Labor’s shadow attorney general, Paul Lynch, said the funding cuts were a bid to punish the Icac. |
| “From the moment Icac investigated Liberal state MPs the state government have punished the Icac,” Lynch said. “This government’s deepest desire seems to be to wish Icac to disappear.” | |
| Lynch said former commissioner Latham, who oversaw the Liberals donations investigation, had “paid with her job”. | |
| “The government getting rid of the commissioner resulted in an underspending of Icac’s budget last year. And eight months later, they still haven’t managed to properly appoint a chief commissioner. And they won’t until the end of August,” Lynch said. | “The government getting rid of the commissioner resulted in an underspending of Icac’s budget last year. And eight months later, they still haven’t managed to properly appoint a chief commissioner. And they won’t until the end of August,” Lynch said. |
| “To add insult to injury, in this year’s budget, they allocated less money for Icac than they did last year,” he said. | “To add insult to injury, in this year’s budget, they allocated less money for Icac than they did last year,” he said. |
| “Do they seriously think the risk of corruption in this state has deceased? Or that with a budget surplus Icac should be funded less?” | “Do they seriously think the risk of corruption in this state has deceased? Or that with a budget surplus Icac should be funded less?” |
| Latham resigned ahead of a restructure that replaced a single commissioner with three. | Latham resigned ahead of a restructure that replaced a single commissioner with three. |
| Former NSW director of public prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdrey, said the need for Icac to continue and expand its anti-corruption work “increases with time”. | |
| But he said funding cuts “severely hampered” the Icac’s ability to function. | |
| “Its ability to work effectively and to pursue new areas of inquiry is severely hampered by any reduction in funding and consequently in staff,” Cowdrey said. | |
| “Reductions require ICAC to prioritise its work more stringently and that means that some matters will not be investigated and corruption will continue there.” | |
| Cowdrey said the NSW government likely felt safe in cutting Icac following recent criticism about its performance. He said such criticisms made funding cuts “politically wearable”. | |
| “But the long term effects may come back to bite the government, when the public realises that some corruption is not being exposed,” he said. | |
| The Icac declined to comment. It has previously made statements concerning budget cuts. | The Icac declined to comment. It has previously made statements concerning budget cuts. |