Corruption in Australia


This article discusses Corruption in Australia, in both private sector and public sectors.

Rankings and research

Corruption in Australia is relatively uncommon when compared to other nations worldwide. Transparency International's 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks the country 13th place out of 176 countries.
Public sector corruption in Australia is similar to that in other developed nations like Canada and Norway as of 2014. However, according to this same index, corruption perception is increasing in Australia. In the 2015 Index Australia ranked 13th, dropping six positions since 2012.
The phenomenon has also been studied by the Australian National University, which produced a report called Perceptions of Corruption and Ethical Conduct, which concluded: "there is a widespread perception that corruption in Australia has increased" and that "the media, trade unions and political parties were seen as Australia's most corrupt institutions.
Research published in 2015 by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand found government and private firms in Australia and nearby New Zealand both display widespread "complacent" attitudes about corruption, particularly in regards to companies bidding for government contracts.
In January 2018, a discussion paper published by the Australia Institute, suggested that the trust in the Australian government is at a historical low, which could have reduced the GDP by as much as 4% or $72.3 billion.
A report by Australian Public Service Commission's released in 2018, stated that investigations were conducted in only 0.3% of the workforce, meaning a total of 596 employees.

Reactions

Australia has a strong record of global, regional and domestic action to prevent and expose corrupt activity. These include the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group and the United Nations Convention against Corruption Working Groups.
Most Australians regard the acceptance of luxury gifts by Australian politicians to be a form of corruption through bribery.

See Also