Federal ICAC to probe pork barrels

Labor’s planned federal corruption watchdog will have the powers to investigate ‘serious and systemic’ pork barrelling, newly appointed Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says.

Mark Dreyfus has pledged to legislate its key election promise of a ­national anti-corruption com­mission by the end of the year. Picture by Sean Davey.

Labor’s planned federal corruption watchdog is likely to be up and running by the middle of next year and will have the ­powers to investigate “serious and systemic” pork barrelling, ­ Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says.

Labor has pledged to legislate its key election promise of a ­national anti-corruption com­mission by the end of the year, building upon independent MP Helen Haines’ proposed legislation for a body with broad sweeping powers to hold public hearings and investigate matters in the past.

Mr Dreyfus on Wednesday said the commission would be able to use its own discretion when determining what to investigate but said “(it’s) going to be independent, it’s going to be powerful, it will have the powers of a royal commission”.

He speculated the body might look into past matters if alle­gations concerned a person who still had influence in public life or in circumstances where there was a long pattern of corruption.

“The longer back you go, the less likely it is that there’s going to be a public interest in that investigation going forward,” he told the ABC.

Mr Dreyfus emphasised the importance of the body’s powers to hold public hearings, arguing they were a way to build confidence in the commission and ­encourage whistleblowers to come forward.

“Very often, the holding of public hearings, some commissioners have told me, is something that prompts others to come forward,” he said.

Asked whether the ICAC could investigate allegations of pork barrelling, Mr Dreyfus said it would have the powers to look into the use of discretionary grant programs for private purposes if it deemed it necessary.

Mr Dreyfus also recommitted to legislate a Religious Discrimination Act without the ability of schools to expel gay and transgender students, however confirmed the federal ICAC was the first priority.