Federal ICAC able to probe pork barrelling, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus confirms

Fresh new details have emerged about the scope of the government's highly anticipated corruption watchdog.

A national corruption watchdog will have the powers to probe politically motivated pork barrelling, the new Attorney-General has confirmed.

Mark Dreyfus has committed the key election promise will be legislated by the year’s end with a goal to have a federal Independent Commission Against Corruption operational by mid-2023.

Speaking with the ABC, Mr Dreyfus said legislating the watchdog was a key priority for the Albanese government.

“It’s a nation building reform. We’re treating it extremely seriously. It’s a paramount objective for the government,” the Attorney-General said.

Mark Dreyfus said he wants to have a watchdog operational by 2023. Picture Kym Smith

A task force of senior officials, headed by the AG department deputy secretary, has been set aside to work on a bill.

It will build upon legislation drafted by independent Helen Haines, and elements from state and territory commissions.

“The full resources of the department are now directed to drafting the very best bill that we can bring to the Australian parliament,” Mr Dreyfus said.

“There’s a whole range of features that have been obviously discussed over the last three years, a lot of it in response to the inadequate model the former government put forward.”

“The commission is going to be independent, it’s going to be powerful, it will have the powers of the royal commission.

“It’s going to deal with serious and systemic corruption, it’s going to be able to receive allegations from a whole range of sources and it’s going to be able to, at its discretion, hold public hearings.”

Former prime minister Scott Morrison first proposed an anti-corruption commission in 2018 but withdrew plans after Labor and the crossbench refused to back his model – which did not have the power to hold public hearings.

ICAC was a key election promise from Labor. Picture Kym Smith

The Coalition’s proposal was widely criticised by legal experts.

Mr Dreyfus also indicated the government’s proposal would allow for retrospective investigations.

“We think that it’s completely inappropriate to suggest that an anti-corruption commission, once set up, would only be able to look at matters that arose after it was set up,” Mr Dreyfus said.

Labor heavily criticised the Coalition’s use of discretionary grants programs to inject money into marginal electorates to sway voters.

Asked if such pork barrelling could be investigated, the Attorney-General said it would be left to the discretion of the commission.

“If any program of the Commonwealth government falls within serious and systemic corruption, then that‘s going to be a matter which the commission can determine that it will look at,” he responded.