Australia Cracks Down on Corruption With New National Watchdog
- Commission can hold public hearings into political corruption
- Anti-corruption body was a major election promise for Labor
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Australia has passed legislation to set up the country’s first national investigative body to tackle corruption in federal politics, a major win for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who campaigned heavily on restoring integrity in government.
The new National Anti-Corruption Commission or NACC will have the ability to investigate sitting and former Australian lawmakers for corruption, compel witnesses to appear and hold public hearings in “extraordinary circumstances.” The NACC has retrospective powers as well, allowing it to investigate alleged abuses of power before its creation.