New requirements for Ministers and more scrutiny for ICAC have proposed in parliament

Ministers and parliamentary secretaries would be forced to reveal details of their meetings under new requirements for more scrutiny. It comes as ICAC hands down long awaited findings into Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday.

Ministers and parliamentary secretaries would be forced to reveal details of their meetings under changes which could be voted on as early as August.

It comes as the government formally backed changes to the ICAC Act to put limits on how long the agency can take to deliver its reports.

Proposed amendments to the ICAC act – introduced to parliament by Independent MP Gareth Ward on Wednesday – would enshrine the accountability measure in the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

While Ministers currently disclose the meetings they attend, this practice is currently not a legal requirement.

“While Ministers have been asked by way of a Premier’s Memorandum to declare their dairies since July 2014, this bill will make this a statutory requirement,” Mr Ward said.

“Parliamentary Secretaries have previously fallen through the cracks when it comes to disclosing their meetings with lobbyists.”

Independent MP Gareth Ward introduced a bill which would require ministers and parliamentary secretaries to detail their meetings. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

The ICAC will on Thursday release its findings into former Premier Gladys Berejiklian and former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.

Meanwhile, in the government’s response to a parliamentary committee inquiry handed down on Wednesday, Special Minister of State John Graham moved to put more limits on the corruption watchdog.

He accepted a recommendation which would force the ICAC to implement its own time standards and report back on whether it is meeting its targets.

Gladys Berejiklian will learn the outcome of the ICAC inquiry into her on Thursday. Picture: Daily Telegraph, Monique Harmer

“The government supports a strong ICAC and recognises the complexity of investigations it undertakes,” the response said.

“Requiring the ICAC to develop its own time standards and measure its performance against them will increase transparency and public accountability of the ICAC’s reporting functions without imposing inflexible restrictions on the ICAC.”

The government also accepted recommendations to strengthen the power of the ICAC inspector, who is responsible for overseeing the corruption watchdog.