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Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Anti-corruption body wastes time with a triviality
On the eve of its second birthday, the National Anti-Corruption Commission was able to celebrate by announcing its first finding of misconduct against a public official. But do not get excited – it is pretty low-level stuff: a senior public servant (their name has been concealed) inappropriately placed her sister's fiance into a job. This is pretty ordinary work, and not an especially spectacular start for Australia's premier anti-corruption body. It is the kind of matter commonly dealt with by the Australian Public Service Commission, not an anti-corruption body. It really looks well beneath the role of the NACC. There is real work to be done, but the NACC is distracted by dealing with comparative trivialities. The first two years of the NACC have been a real disappointment. There is negative feel to it, as though the NACC's leadership team are unwilling to flex their muscles. Even the decision to conceal the names of those involved in this incident is puzzling – they did wrong, so why not expose them? The NACC emphasised that it regarded the matter as serious and pointed out that the principal miscreant was in a senior position. The evidence collected showed the breach was deliberate and flagrant. It was a misuse of public power, a misallocation of public money, and it meant that a person who deserved to get the job missed out. Yet the NACC seems to be more concerned to protect the wrongdoers than to expose the wrongdoing. This is a dispiriting position to be adopted by the agency charged with overseeing transparency and accountability in the public sector. The public is denied transparency; those breaking the rules escape accountability. Loading We should not be surprised. Everything we have seen so far from the NACC suggests it is not up to the task of tackling serious corruption. The NACC's decision not even to open an investigation into the six persons referred to it by the Robo-debt royal commission was an early sign that something was not right. That decision, which was an awful error, needed to be corrected by Gail Furness SC, the statutory inspector of the NACC. Ms Furness' report exposed that the NACC commissioner himself was unable to manage a basic conflict of interest – yet he is the person to whom public officials should turn to get guidance on their conflicts of interest. That misjudgment by the NACC commissioner led to a finding of 'officer misconduct' on his part – so, ironically, the first finding of misconduct about the NACC was a finding against the NACC.
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
Anti-corruption body wastes time with a triviality
On the eve of its second birthday, the National Anti-Corruption Commission was able to celebrate by announcing its first finding of misconduct against a public official. But do not get excited – it is pretty low-level stuff: a senior public servant (their name has been concealed) inappropriately placed her sister's fiance into a job. This is pretty ordinary work, and not an especially spectacular start for Australia's premier anti-corruption body. It is the kind of matter commonly dealt with by the Australian Public Service Commission, not an anti-corruption body. It really looks well beneath the role of the NACC. There is real work to be done, but the NACC is distracted by dealing with comparative trivialities. The first two years of the NACC have been a real disappointment. There is negative feel to it, as though the NACC's leadership team are unwilling to flex their muscles. Even the decision to conceal the names of those involved in this incident is puzzling – they did wrong, so why not expose them? The NACC emphasised that it regarded the matter as serious and pointed out that the principal miscreant was in a senior position. The evidence collected showed the breach was deliberate and flagrant. It was a misuse of public power, a misallocation of public money, and it meant that a person who deserved to get the job missed out. Yet the NACC seems to be more concerned to protect the wrongdoers than to expose the wrongdoing. This is a dispiriting position to be adopted by the agency charged with overseeing transparency and accountability in the public sector. The public is denied transparency; those breaking the rules escape accountability. Loading We should not be surprised. Everything we have seen so far from the NACC suggests it is not up to the task of tackling serious corruption. The NACC's decision not even to open an investigation into the six persons referred to it by the Robo-debt royal commission was an early sign that something was not right. That decision, which was an awful error, needed to be corrected by Gail Furness SC, the statutory inspector of the NACC. Ms Furness' report exposed that the NACC commissioner himself was unable to manage a basic conflict of interest – yet he is the person to whom public officials should turn to get guidance on their conflicts of interest. That misjudgment by the NACC commissioner led to a finding of 'officer misconduct' on his part – so, ironically, the first finding of misconduct about the NACC was a finding against the NACC.
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
Paetongtarn Shinawatra Net Worth: Handbags, watches & properties - A look at suspended Thailand PM's $400 million assets
Paetongtarn Shinawatra Net Worth: Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was suspended on Tuesday, had declared over $400 million in assets, with a reported net worth of 8.9 billion baht ($258 million) earlier this year. The Thai PM's asset filing posted by local media and sourced from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), also noted liabilities of nearly five billion baht, giving her a net worth of 8.9 billion baht ($258 million). Paetongtarn Shinawatra's assets include over 200 designer handbags worth over $2 million and at least 75 luxury watches valued at almost $5 million, Bloomberg had reported in January 2025. The Thai PM was suspended from office by the nation's Constitutional Court over a leaked phone call with Cambodian PM Hun Sen. In January 2025, the Thai PM was obliged to declare her assets and liabilities to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). According to the NACC reports shared by Thailand media outlets, Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared liabilities worth nearly five billion baht. Her investments were worth 11 billion baht. Shinawatra had also declared another billion baht in deposits and cash, as per her declaration, reported Bloomberg. She had 75 luxury watches – 162 million baht, and 217 handbags worth 76 million baht. The Thai PM had also declared properties in Japan and London. The Thai PM's supension centers around a leaked call. On Tuesday, Thailand's Constitutional Court unanimously agreed to accept a petition accusing Paetongtarn of breaching political ethics. Critics claim the call revealed compromising remarks and an overly conciliatory approach to Cambodia, amid Thailand's growing border disputes with the nation. The leaked call allegedly criticised a regional army commander and suggested appeasing Cambodian officials to de-escalate tensions. The fallout has led to intense political pressure and renewed scrutiny of the Thai PM's leadership style. Thai stocks and the Baht gained with the Constitutional Court's move to suspend Shinawatra boosting investor confidence that political tensions in the Southeast Asia nation may ease. 'Previously, the market was unnerved by fears of potential violence or even military intervention,' said Piriyapon Kongvanich, investment strategist at Bualuang Securities in Bangkok. 'The court's decision defused those fears and the market reacted positively," he told Forbes. Thailand Deputy PM Suriya Juangroongruangkit has assumed the role of acting prime minister while suspended Shinawatra Paetongtarn has 15 days to respond to the ethics charges, reported Reuters.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended over ‘leaked phone call' – Here's what happened
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office by the Constitutional Court following a leaked phone call that has sparked a political firestorm and widespread public protests. The decision comes amid heightened tensions with Cambodia and mounting criticism over her handling of a deadly border incident. On Tuesday, Thailand's Constitutional Court unanimously agreed to accept a petition accusing Paetongtarn of breaching political ethics. In a 7–2 vote, the judges ruled to suspend her from official duties while the investigation is underway. The suspension centres on a leaked telephone conversation between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian Prime Minister and current Senate President Hun Sen, during a period of heightened diplomatic strain. Critics claim the call revealed compromising remarks and an overly conciliatory approach to Cambodia. The controversy comes in the wake of a serious border incident on 28 May, in which one Cambodian soldier was killed during an armed confrontation. Paetongtarn's attempt to manage the crisis diplomatically has drawn fire from conservative and nationalist factions, who accuse her of undermining Thai sovereignty. Public anger has particularly focused on her remarks during the leaked call, which allegedly criticised a regional army commander and suggested appeasing Cambodian officials to de-escalate tensions. The fallout has led to intense political pressure and renewed scrutiny of her leadership style. Earlier the same day, King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed a significant Cabinet reshuffle prompted by the departure of the Bhumjaithai Party from the ruling coalition. The party's exit, in protest over the phone call scandal, led to the removal of its leader, former Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charvirakul, from key government roles. The reshuffle is seen as an attempt to stabilise the administration amid growing political uncertainty, but analysts suggest it may further weaken Paetongtarn's fragile support base. In addition to the Constitutional Court case, the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has launched its own inquiry into Paetongtarn's conduct. If the NACC concludes that she breached ethical standards, it could result in her permanent removal from office. Speaking to reporters on Monday, the embattled prime minister admitted to being 'worried' about the proceedings. 'I will accept and follow the court process, although I don't want to see my work interrupted,' she said. Public dissatisfaction has reached the streets, with thousands of conservative, pro-military demonstrators rallying in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand her immediate resignation. The protests are being fuelled by growing perceptions that Paetongtarn has jeopardised national security and overstepped political boundaries in her dealings with a foreign power. The scandal marks one of the most significant challenges of Paetongtarn Shinawatra's tenure to date, threatening to derail her leadership at a time of fragile coalition politics and heightened regional tensions.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Secret texts in $100k nepo job scandal
A former Home Affairs official has been found to have acted in a seriously corrupt manner after she helped her sister's fiance secure a $101,000 job. The investigation report, which was released by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Monday, revealed a tranche of WhatsApp messages and texts shared by the high-level beurocrat, who was given the pseudonym Joanne Simeson, and her sister, Melissa. The events, which occurred from 2022 to 2024, were in relation to an international engagement officer position, which Melissa's fiance Mark Elbert was hired with a salary of $101,264. In one message dating back to December 2022, after Mr Elbert secured an interview, Joanne said she would 'talk [Mark] through the lie (that they did not have a close personal relationship),' to which Melissa wrote back: 'he's so bad at lying he's too honest'. Investigations also revealed Joanne forged a witness signature on an onboarding form, and used her seniority and 'promoted his candidacy and qualities to other staff, created the recruitment requisition, nominated herself as the delegate approver, and took steps to have the onboarding'. Text communications between Joanne and her sister Melissa were revealed in the course of investigations. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia While Joanne claimed she initially hid her relationship with Mr Elbert because she 'did not want the relationship to be known at work', the NACC said she purposely 'used her position to procure the transfer of her sister's fiance into the Department for the purpose of benefiting her sister's fiance and her sister, knowing it to be improper'. In another instance, Joanne also misused official information by providing interview questions to her sister, who was applying for a job at another branch at the Department of Home Affairs. The NACC found Joanne's actions were an 'abuse of her office as a public official,' while repeatedly lying about her relationship with Mr Elberty and her sister, plus the 'benefit conferred on' Mr Elbert mounted to serious corruption. While Joanne was stood down during the investigation in February 2024, and resigned from the department in June 2024, the NACC said it would have recommended her employment be terminated if she still worked at the department. The investigation also prompted the NACC to warn that 'nepotism, cronyism and undeclared conflicts of interest in recruitment and promotion is an area of widespread concern,' stating that it 'undermines the merit selection process and erodes morale'. It also noted that nepotism and cronyism (giving favouritism to friends and business associates) was 'systemic' and was one of the 'most commonly observed types of corrupt conduct,' according to the NACC's 2024 Commonwealth Integrity Survey. Concluding the report, the commission made three recommendations to restrict access to interview questions to only those with a 'legitimate need to know,' and to call on people involved in recruitment to declare any relationship or association with an applicant and target training to people in senior leadership roles. It also made specific recommendations to review and change hiring processes related to the Home Affairs Department, especially in relation to department transfers which a facilitated by the head of an agency.
