In a nutshell, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has confirmed that it will not open an investigation into three Tourism Australia employees who were fired for billing the agency for personal travel expenses. The NACC informed Tourism Australia that it would not be investigating just hours after the agency’s CEO refused to answer questions about the affair before the Senate Budget Committee. What’s next? The Federal Opposition is demanding that Tourism Australia be forthright in revealing details of the affair now that the looming NACC investigation has removed it from confidentiality obligations.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has informed Tourism Australia that it will not open an investigation into the expenses scandal, just hours after the agency’s chief executive refused to answer questions about the matter in Parliament.
Last week Tourism Australia chief executive Philippa Harrison revealed that she had reported three former sacked staff to the NACC for billing taxpayers for personal travel expenses.
Harrison, speaking at a Senate budget hearing, said the three employees repaid $137,441 after the scandal was discovered.
However, she maintained that she could not provide details of the incident (including the names of those involved) to Parliament as this could prejudice any future investigations by the NACC, and the NACC advised her to refrain from making any public statements.
The corruption watchdog said the day after Mr Harrison testified in the Senate it had told Tourism Australia it would not intervene.
“The Commission can confirm that it recently decided not to take any further action in relation to the referral on the grounds that, prior to this referral, the matter had already been fully investigated, employees had been dismissed and funds had been repaid and therefore there was nothing the Commission could usefully add to this process now,” NACC told the ABC.
The case has caused uproar in the Senate, with the NACC calling for secrecy as the reference was seen as interfering with MPs’ work to scrutinise Tourism Australia’s operations.
“I have to say this is the first time in my experience that an official has been instructed by NACC not to make a public statement,” Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell told a senate committee last week.
“This raises an important issue that I would like to clarify myself.”
The ABC has contacted Tourism Australia and Senator Farrell for comment.
Opposition parties demand explanations from government and Tourism Australia
The federal opposition party argued that it was the government’s duty to reveal details of the incident.
“Ministers became aware in late 2023 that public servants had misused taxpayers’ money,” shadow trade and tourism minister Kevin Horgan said in a statement.
“Now there is no corruption investigation to hide behind.
“We need more details about the embezzlement case and how it will be handled.”
Mr Horgan asked whether the matter would be referred to the Australian Federal Police as a result of NACC’s refusal to intervene.
