Paul Brereton, the head of Australia’s peak anti-corruption body, has resigned two years before the end of his five-year term.
The National Anti-Corruption Commissioner (NACC) announced the decision, a day before he was due to front a Senate hearing for the first time.
His resignation follows years of controversy surrounding the Commission, which Brereton said had been “drawing attention away from the Commission’s core purpose”.
Brereton will remain in the role until 6 July.
NACC
The NACC is an independent government body established in 2023 after years of calls for a federal integrity commission following a series of high-profile political scandals.
Brereton began his five-year term as the body’s first commissioner in July 2023.
Since taking on the role, his leadership has been overshadowed by several controversies, including allegations of conflicts of interest.
The biggest controversy centred on his handling of matters linked to the Robodebt scandal – an unlawful automated debt recovery scheme launched by the Coalition Government in 2016 that wrongly pursued hundreds of thousands of Australians for debts they did not owe.
In 2024, the NACC’s independent inspector found Brereton failed to disclose a longstanding professional relationship with one of the witnesses involved and should have excused himself from parts of the investigation.
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Resignation
In a public statement, Commissioner Brereton said he had “decided that it is time... to step aside and allow a new Commissioner to lead”.
While Brereton said he would “resist any suggestion of impropriety” during his time in the role, he acknowledged the controversies surrounding his leadership had become a distraction for the Commission.
“The ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally rather than the Commission’s work is drawing attention away from the Commission’s core purpose,” he said.
Reactions
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland recognised Brereton’s “invaluable contribution” and said a “merit-based process” is now underway to appoint his replacement.
However, several crossbenchers who’ve made long-running calls for Brereton’s resignation, welcomed the news.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge described it as “striking” that Brereton would resign the day before his first Senate appearance, but called on the Government to “learn from this experience and approach new appointments with a focus on transparency”.
Independent MP Helen Haines said the news “presents an important opportunity to reset the National Anti-Corruption Commission on a pathway that restores community trust”.
Independent Senator David Pocock also urged the Government to use the opportunity to “reform key aspects of the NACC’s operation, including making it easier to hold public hearings.”
