Integrity Commissioner gagged
Amy Remeikis reports in the Brisbane Times (26.11.14) that Queensland’s new Integrity Commissioner has echoed the same concerns as his predecessor in that individual MPs can release advice he provides them – but he cannot, even when his advice is misrepresented.
Richard Bingham, who took over the independent statutory office from David Solomon in July, faced the Finance and Administration Committee on Wednesday as a matter of course.
Opposition MP Curtis Pitt questioned Mr Bingham about members of parliament tabling advice from the Integrity Commissioner on whether there were “any constraints on a member releasing publicly the advice they receive from you”. “As far as I’m aware there are no constraints for individual members and there are significant constraints for me,” Mr Bingham said, “And it’s a serious offence for me to release information that relates to another person when that information comes to my attention during the course of the administration of the Integrity Act.