An audit of the funding arrangements for the NSW corruption watchdog has found they threaten its 'independent status' because the Premier can 'restrict access' to the money it receives.
An audit of the funding arrangements for the Independent Commission Against Corruption has found they threaten its "independent status" because the Premier can "restrict access" to the money it receives.
The Auditor-General also found that the funding was not "transparent" and "there are no mechanisms for the agencies to question or challenge decisions made".But the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the NSW Treasury have restricted its funding through "efficiency dividends" and budget-saving measures.
The agencies can ask the DPC for additional money to conduct its investigations and the ICAC has made requests on several occasions, mostly to cover large scale public hearings.The Auditor-General has raised concerns with this model, noting that it’s "the only mechanism available" and "it could be seeking additional funding to investigate a senior government official".
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