DOCSLIB.ORG

Are Australia and New Zealand Corrupt?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Are Australia and New Zealand Corrupt? ARE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CORRUPT? charteredaccountantsanz.com/futureinc Chartered Accountants Australia About Dr Lisa Marriott and New Zealand Dr Lisa Marriott is an Associate Professor of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Taxation at Victoria University of Wellington’s Zealand is made up of over 100,000 diverse, School of Accounting and Commercial Law. talented and financially astute professionals Lisa is a Chartered Accountant and a member who utilise their skills every day to make a of Chartered Accountants Australia and New difference for businesses the world over. Zealand. Lisa has publications in a range of international refereed journals and is the Members of Chartered Accountants Australia author of The Politics of Retirement Savings and New Zealand are known for professional Taxation: A Trans-tasman Perspective. Lisa integrity, principled judgement, financial discipline was recently awarded a Royal Society of and a forward-looking approach to business. New Zealand Marsden Grant to investigate the We focus on the education and lifelong learning different treatments of tax evasion and welfare of members, and engage in advocacy and fraud in the New Zealand justice system. Lisa thought leadership in areas that impact the has worked in industry in the private sector in economy and domestic and international the United Kingdom and in the New Zealand capital markets. public sector. For the past eight years, Lisa We are a member of the International Federation has worked in academia. of Accountants, and are connected globally through the 800,000-strong Global Accounting Alliance and Chartered Accountants Worldwide which brings together leading Institutes in Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and South Africa to support and promote over 320,000 Chartered Accountants in more than 180 countries. Copyright © August 2015 Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. All rights reserved. DISCLAIMER This document was prepared by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand with the assistance of Dr Lisa Marriott. The information in this document is provided for general guidance only and on the understanding that it does not represent, and is not intended to be, advice. Whilst care has been taken its preparation, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or other advisors. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult with an appropriate specialist or professional. Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Formed in Australia. Members of the organisation are not liable for the debts and liabilities of the organisation. ABN 50 084 642 571 0415-45 FOREWORD In Australia and New Zealand we Regulation alone doesn’t appear have long traded on our reputations to be the solution. I encourage you for high ethical standards. They are to consider the “suggestions for the reputations that have supported way forward” discussed in the paper. strong positions in the global economy. Don’t think of them as answers, but This latest paper from future[inc] as catalysts for stimulating debate. questions whether or not we deserve We need to be more proactive in our squeaky clean reputations, and the fight against corruption and what we should be doing to protect send the message that we take them. Not only do reports indicate that the issue seriously. rates of corruption in our two countries Rethink what you thought you knew may be rising, we are also doing more about corruption. business with countries that have Read on and join the debate. different ethical frameworks from our own. With reference to data and case Fred Hutchings studies from both New Zealand and President, Australia, and from the public and Chartered Accountants ANZ private sectors, the paper looks at what our areas of weakness are, what anti-bribery and corruption tools we have in place, and whether they are being used effectively. charteredaccountantsanz.com/futureinc 4 ARE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CORRUPT? CONTENTS 05 06 10 SUMMARY INTRODUCTION WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CORRUPTION? 22 31 34 WHAT DO WE KNOW WHAT SHOULD WE CONCLUSION ABOUT CORRUPTION BE DOING ABOUT IN AUSTRALIA AND CORRUPTION? NEW ZEALAND? 36 REFERENCES 5 future[inc] SUMMARY Australia and New Zealand perform well in Relying on our historic reputation as global measures of corruption, and both of “fair dinkum” countries is no longer enough. our countries trade on reputations for honesty We need to not only be better in reality at and integrity. However, rates of corruption addressing corruption than other countries – are reported to be rising and we are trading we also need to be perceived to be better. increasingly often with countries that are Our two countries need to be more considered to be highly corrupt. Additionally, proactive in the fight against corruption. despite our positive survey rankings, Australia In this report, we examine what we are and New Zealand have been subject to harsh currently doing to mitigate corruption in criticism in recent years for what is perceived Australia and New Zealand and what to be a lackadaisical approach to corruption. we should be doing. We then present ten How justified are our good reputations? options for consideration; our aim is to Countries such as the United Kingdom start a broad debate on corruption and (UK) have been lauded by international the role of Australia and New Zealand in organisations for initiatives such as the the international context. Bribery Act 2010, a tough anti-bribery and corruption law. We need to consider how Australia and New Zealand are currently perceived in the domain of global corruption and how we wish to be perceived in the future. 6 ARE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CORRUPT? We set out to ask not only are we corrupt? But also how corrupt are we? And perhaps more importantly, what are we doing about it? INTRODUCTION Global reports suggest that rates of corruption are low in Australia and New Zealand. Is this view warranted? A brief look at newspaper headlines would suggest not. Cases already reported in the media in 2015 include the payment or receiving of bribes,1 misconduct in public office,2 and undisclosed gift-giving and receiving.3 The Australian media has reported over the past few months that “Australia’s slide into corruption must be stopped”, while New Zealand’s media recently labelled the Minister of Justice as the “Minister of Corruption.”4 We have even become accustomed to media reports about corruption on the sports field, including recent accusations of bribery and match fixing in football and cricket. 7 future[inc] FIGURE 1: CORRUPTION IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND increase in fraud, bribery and % corruption over $1 million in 82 Australia and New Zealand5 % % PwC survey respondents + report experiencing 33 57 6 OF NEW ZEALAND OF AUSTRALIA economic crime in 2014 increase in losses due to economic % crime in Australia and New Zealand 300 between 1997 and 20127 fraud, bribery and corruption incidents in Australia and 194,454 New Zealand in 20128 What should we be paying more attention Before we start, we need to clarify what to: statistical rankings or national reports? we mean by “corruption.” The definition of We set out to ask not only “are we corrupt?” corruption used by the Asian Development but also “how corrupt are we?” And Bank is “Behaviour on the part of officials perhaps more importantly, “what are in the public or private sector in which they we doing about it?” improperly and unlawfully enrich themselves or those close to them, or induce others to do so, by misusing the position in which they are placed.” This definition of corruption is also used by the New Zealand Serious Fraud Office. CORRUPTION: the abuse of public The victims of corruption may be individuals, or private office for personal gain. private sector organisations or public sector institutions. Corruption may be considered a subset of fraud, and incorporates a broad range of activities (see Figure 2). For the purposes of this paper we consider financial crime to be a subset of corruption. 8 ARE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CORRUPT? FIGURE 2: ASPECTS OF CORRUPTION9 Illegal gratuities Purchasing Invoice schemes kickbacks Conflicts Bribery of interest CORRUPTION Sales Bid rigging schemes Economic extortion But what impact does corruption have The issue of corruption – and what can on the Australian and New Zealand general be done about it – needs to be debated. public and our businesses? Perhaps the Can we be comforted by our positions in most important financial incentive to international rankings, or do we need to minimise corruption is the reduction of determine for ourselves whether the level reputational risk. In the private sector, a of corruption in our society is acceptable? strong reputation means lower costs of Are we doing enough to combat corruption doing business, a lower cost of capital, and in Australia and New Zealand? easier access to international markets.10 Corruption can impact on employee morale, business relations and an organisation’s share price. The public sector also benefits when corruption is minimised: government resources are increased and greater investment can be made in health, education and other services. 9 future[inc] FINANCIAL CRIME is the foundation for most serious crime.11 JULIE READ DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE IN NEW ZEALAND. 10 ARE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CORRUPT? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CORRUPTION? We know an issue has become significant It is difficult to measure corruption when it has a day named after it, and accurately. As will be seen, many reports even its own acronym. The United Nations are based on perceptions of corruption, has an annual designated “International rather than absolute measures. These Anti-Corruption Day” – 9 December – perception surveys are seen as the most aimed at raising awareness of corruption.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Interim Report
    Chapter 2 Corruption in Australia 2.1 Corruption appears to exist at all levels of society. A commonly agreed definition of corruption—albeit a narrow one—is 'the misuse of entrusted power for private gain'.1 It can take many forms depending on local culture and context.2 Corruption can distort the making of public policy or the implementation of public policy. 3 2.2 The Attorney-General's Department provides an explanation of the place corruption occupies on the continuum of human behaviour: Corruption could be viewed as one end of a continuum of other undesirable behaviours, including maladministration and improper conduct. … Corruption can occur on many levels, from small illicit payments as part of routine bureaucratic processes, to the large scale diversions of public resources to corrupt individuals. Corruption affects both the public and private sectors and can be facilitated by bribery, embezzlement, money- laundering, nepotism and cronyism.4 2.3 Corruption has a negative effect on the countries, communities and institutions in which it is able to thrive. The Attorney-General's Department's 2011 National Anti-Corruption Plan discussion paper expanded on this point: Corruption is a corrosive global phenomenon that has a wide range of devastating impacts. It undermines democracy and the rule of law; discourages investment and distorts markets; diverts resources from important services like schools, hospitals and roads; and provides a breeding ground for organised crime and terrorism.5 2.4 Corruption in Australia – a very wealthy country by global standards – is not the same as corruption in a poorer country. Professor Graycar informed the committee that the kinds of corruption risk in a rich country are not typically small scale bribes to 1 Attorney-General's Department, The Commonwealth's approach to Anti-Corruption– Discussion Paper, 2011, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Corruption and Bribery Practices in Corporate Australiaoctober 2011 1
    Anti-Corruption and Bribery Practices in Corporate Australia A review of exposure to corruption and bribery risk across the S&P/ASX 200 Research commissioned by The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors and prepared by CAER - Corporate Analysis. Enhanced Responsibility. Research Paper Anti-Corruption and Bribery Practices in Corporate AustraliaOctober 2011 1 About the Authors The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) assists its member superannuation funds to manage environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) investment risk. ACSI‟s services include: Advice and proxy voting services. Engagement with ASX 200 companies on material ESG issues. Research to support our policy positions. Public Advocacy for improved governance practices and standards including promotion of effective legislative and regulatory regimes. Assistance to members for implementation of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. Contact details: Ann Byrne Chief Executive Officer Australian Council of Superannuation Investors Ground Floor 215 Spring Street I Melbourne VIC 3000 I Australia Tel: +61(0)3 8677 3893 Fax: +61(0)3 8677 3889 Email: [email protected] Website: www.acsi.org.au CAER – Corporate Analysis. Enhanced Responsibility. CAER is an independent, not-for-profit research organisation assisting investors in Australia and around the world. CAER was established in 2000 to provide independent environmental, social and governance (ESG) data on companies operating in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. CAER collects data on approximately 300 ESG issues for the S&P/ASX 300 and the NZX 50. With our UK partners EIRIS we are able to provide consistent sustainability data on over 3,000 of the world‟s leading companies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cost of Corruption the Growing Perception of Corruption and Its Cost to GDP
    The cost of corruption The growing perception of corruption and its cost to GDP Corruption increases costs and reduces economic growth. Worsening perceptions of corruption in Australia since 2012 have potentially reduced GDP by $72.3 billion, or 4% of our latest GDP figures. Discussion paper Hannah Aulby Rod Campbell January 2018 ABOUT THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE The Australia Institute is an independent public policy think tank based in Canberra. It is funded by donations from philanthropic trusts and individuals and commissioned research. Since its launch in 1994, the Institute has carried out highly influential research on a broad range of economic, social and environmental issues. OUR PHILOSOPHY As we begin the 21st century, new dilemmas confront our society and our planet. Unprecedented levels of consumption co-exist with extreme poverty. Through new technology we are more connected than we have ever been, yet civic engagement is declining. Environmental neglect continues despite heightened ecological awareness. A better balance is urgently needed. The Australia Institute’s directors, staff and supporters represent a broad range of views and priorities. What unites us is a belief that through a combination of research and creativity we can promote new solutions and ways of thinking. OUR PURPOSE – ‘RESEARCH THAT MATTERS’ The Institute aims to foster informed debate about our culture, our economy and our environment and bring greater accountability to the democratic process. Our goal is to gather, interpret and communicate evidence in order to both diagnose the problems we face and propose new solutions to tackle them. The Institute is wholly independent and not affiliated with any other organisation.
    [Show full text]
  • ANNUAL REPORT 1 JULY 2017 - 30 JUNE 2018 in the Past Year
    ANNUAL REPORT 1 JULY 2017 - 30 JUNE 2018 In the past year... Transparency International Australia (TIA) is the Australian national chapter of a global coalition against corruption, operating in over 100 countries. Through Transparency International (TI) we 11 are part of a global movement leading the submissions to federal fight against corruption. Each chapter is parliamentary inquiries independent and unique, but together we aspire to a unified vision: a world free of corruption. Our mission is to tackle corruption by shining a light on the illegal practices and 29 unfair laws that weaken our democracy. dedicated news articles We shine a spotlight through our research, and interviews which informs our evidence-based advocacy to build a better system of governance for all. Our Objective: TIA’s objective is to lead the Australian fight 50+ against bribery and corruption. We do this by: meetings with government - mobilising national coalitions against corruption as part of the global TI movement; - fostering and supporting research, development and dissemination of effective corruption 31 prevention and enforcement; and TIA member organisations - raising awareness and advocating action by government, business and civil society. Our Areas of Focus: Policy: 5 - Anti-corruption agencies and national integrity television interviews system - Political lobbying, donations and ‘revolving door’ / industry influence - AML/CTF and beneficial ownership 9 - Open Government Partnership events - Foreign Bribery (adequate procedures, and debarment) - Due diligence and procurement – particular focus on mining sector and associated infrastructure - Mining and associated infrastructure - Financial services 11 - Property radio interviews Private Sector: - Mining and associated infrastructure - Financial services - Property 1 landmark report on corruption TIA does not investigate or expose specific cases, risks in the mining approvals but works to improve conduct and systems in Australia and overseas.
    [Show full text]
  • 4. Australia's Official Corruption Challenges
    Australia’s National Integrity System Priorities for Reform Draft Report – April 2019 4. Australia’s official corruption challenges 4.1. The issues Even if Australia still ranks relatively high on international governance indices, reduced trust and elevated scandals in Australian government in recent years have focused attention on the scale of our official corruption problems – and the issue of how corruption itself is understood, measured and defined. Achieving a clearer picture of the nature of these challenges, and the adequacy of operating definitions of corruption, legal categories and agency responsibilities, is pivotal to identifying whether and how integrity systems may need to be strengthened. For Australia there are four main issues: • The changing profile of the types of misconduct and integrity violations classified by the community as ‘corruption’ – especially increasing concern about ‘grey corruption’ and ‘undue influence’; • The extent of corruption risks going under-addressed, or unaddressed, in particular government and industry sectors – especially at Commonwealth level; • Wildly varying legal definitions of official corruption across Australia, creating problems of inconsistency, confusion and uncertainty about the right systems and processes for responding to corruption; and • As a consequence, disjunctions between the amount of official misconduct that is known or perceived to occur, and amount and effectiveness of official action to deal with and prevent that misconduct – given that only some of these definitions
    [Show full text]
  • Controlling Corruption and Promoting Good Governance a New Challenge for Aid Policy
    SWP Research Paper Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Bruno Wilhelm Speck Controlling Corruption and Promoting Good Governance A New Challenge for Aid Policy S 13 (english version) April 2004 (revised and updated September 2005) Berlin All rights reserved. © Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, 2005 SWP Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Ludwigkirchplatz 3−4 10719 Berlin Germany Phone +49 30 880 07-0 Fax +49 30 880 07-100 www.swp-berlin.org [email protected] ISSN 1611-6372 Table of Contents 5 Problems and Recommendations 7 Corruption As a Global Concern 7 Awareness of corruption in national and international politics 10 The concept of corruption 10 Petty, grand and systemic corruption 11 Corruption damaging the political system 14 Corruption and Aid 15 Focusing Aid on Corruption Control 15 Strengthening public resource management 16 A culture of transparency and accountability 18 Fostering public institutions for oversight, control and sanctions 20 Centralizing anticorruption efforts: a step forward? 20 The role of NGOs, the media and civil society 22 Self commitment and integrity pacts 23 Success and pitfalls of measuring corruption 23 Rising awareness 24 Building reform agendas 25 Monitoring results 25 The tasks lying ahead and the support from aid 26 Diagnosing the integrity of institutions as a pathway for reform 29 Good Governance As a Condition for Aid? 29 Sanctioning greedy elites in recipient countries 30 Rewarding Good Governance 30 Performance driven aid as a complement rather than an alternative 32 Aid Itself Is Not beyond Suspicion 32 Does aid promote corruption in recipient countries? 33 Vulnerability of aid administration itself to corruption 35 Necessity of a Coordinated Effort of Aid Agencies to Foster Corruption Control 37 Appendix Bruno Wilhelm Speck is a professor of political science at Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, and a senior advisor to the Americas Department of Transparency International.
    [Show full text]
  • Rich Country Corruption” International Journal of Public Administration Vol
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The Australian National University Graycar, Adam & Monaghan Olivia (2015) “Rich Country Corruption” International Journal of Public Administration Vol. 38, 586–595, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2014.949757 Rich Country Corruption Adam Graycar and Olivia Monaghan Adam Graycar (corresponding author) Professor of Public Policy, Research School of Social Sciences and Director of the Transnational Research Institute on Corruption (TRIC) at the Australian National University (ANU). Email: [email protected], Telephone: +61-2-6125 0135 Olivia Monaghan Research Officer at the Transnational Research Institute on Corruption (TRIC) at the Australian National University (ANU). Olivia is a doctoral candidate researching corruption risks and anti-corruption policy for the police force at the University of Melbourne. Email: [email protected], Telephone: +61-2-6125 3902 Affiliation: Research for this paper was conducted at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Disclosure statement: Adam Graycar and Olivia Monaghan do not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have no relevant affiliations. 1 Rich Country Corruption Introduction The goal of this article is to better understand rich country corruption, and to highlight some of the challenges this creates for anti-corruption policy and practice. Rich country corruption takes on a different form to most corruption in poor countries. Corruption in poor countries affects the daily lives of the very poorest people, it makes them pay more for access to markets and services that people in rich countries use as a normal right of citizenship, it makes politicians into billionaires because they can manipulate business and the regulation of business, and use the state as their own personal plaything.
    [Show full text]
  • 3. Australia's Anti-Corruption Priorities in Context
    Australia’s National Integrity System Priorities for Reform Draft Report – April 2019 3. Australia’s anti-corruption priorities in context 3.1. The issues The crucial first step in understanding strengths, weaknesses and reform priorities for Australia’s national integrity system is to understand its context. Australia’s fall in its score and ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index since 2012, points to two conclusions. First, Australia is lucky in that, in international terms, it is still generally not a ‘high corruption’ country. Second, Australia is nevertheless going in the wrong direction, and can and should do better, if it is to avoid this fate, rebuild public trust and regain a reputation for dealing well with integrity risks. Successive Australian federal governments have acknowledged that our greatest danger is to become complacent and shrug off risks of corruption. However, the track record on key issues confirms that this danger has been realised – while maintaining a range of disparate responses to integrity and corruption issues, Australia has failed to maintain investment nationally in either the resources or coordinated approaches needed to protect public integrity in the face of domestic and international challenges. This problem continues in current political debate, including both Government and Opposition proposals for reform to establish a Commonwealth / National Integrity Commission as discussed in chapter 2. So far, this debate is confined to updating anti- corruption mechanisms within the federal public sector, much as if it was simply a State government. This chapter shows this approach to be insufficient and flawed. Australia is a federal system in which national priorities must take account of national and international issues, cross- sectoral issues, and federal/state issues including the need for proactive leadership, standard-setting, greater national coordination and cooperation.
    [Show full text]
  • Does the Presence of Women in Politics Reduce Corruption in Latin America?
    ISSUE BRIEF 07.29.16 Does the Presence of Women in Politics Reduce Corruption in Latin America? Leslie Schwindt-Bayer, Ph.D., Baker Institute Rice Faculty Scholar, Latin America Initiative; Albert Thomas Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science, Rice University ABSTRACT Corruption has become one of the most important political challenges for Latin American governments in recent years. Is the presence of women in politics a solution to corruption problems? Research from the early 2000s on women’s representation in parliaments and corruption levels from countries around the world suggests that the answer to this question is “yes.” However, analysis of the relationship between women in government and corruption in Latin America shows that the answer is “not yet.” Greater presence of women in Latin American governments has the potential to reduce corruption but only when combined with institutional improvements to the quality of democracy and electoral accountability in the region. Corruption and corruption scandals have Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released long plagued Latin American democracies, earlier this year. Although the corruption but in recent years, attention to corruption scores of countries vary, Latin America’s and public frustration with it has taken regional average and the fact that only center stage. Examples of rampant three countries are among the least corrupt corruption throughout the region include countries in the world (Uruguay, Chile, and Brazil’s 2005-2006 mensalão scandal and Costa Rica) indicate that corruption continues the country’s current lava jato scandal; to be a serious problem in the region. The allegations in Argentina that former prevalence of and concern with corruption Is women’s presidents Néstor and Cristina Kirchner in Latin America raises important questions representation skimmed from public coffers while in about how to reduce corruption in politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Interim Report
    The Senate Select Committee on the Establishment of a National Integrity Commission Interim report May 2016 © Commonwealth of Australia 2016 ISBN 978-1-76010-408-5 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License. The details of this licence are available on the Creative Commons website: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/ Printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra. Select Committee into the Establishment of a National Integrity Commission Members Senator Zhenya Wang (Chair) Western Australia, PUP Senator the Hon Jacinta Collins (Deputy Chair) Victoria, ALP Senator the Hon Eric Abetz Tasmania, LP Senator the Hon David Johnston Western Australia, LP Senator the Hon Joseph Ludwig Queensland, ALP Senator John Madigan Victoria, IND Secretariat Dr Jane Thomson, Secretary Mr CJ Sautelle, Principal Research Officer Mr Jarrod Baker, Senior Research Officer Dr Mark Bode, Senior Research Officer Ms Ophelia Tynan, Research Officer Ms Margaret Jones, Administrative Officer PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Ph: 02 6277 3585 Fax: 02 6277 5794 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Establishment_of _a_National_Integrity_Commission TABLE OF CONTENTS Membership of the Committee ........................................................................ iii Chapter 1.............................................................................................................. 1 Introduction
    [Show full text]
  • Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2015 Australia & New
    Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2015 Australia & New Zealand Separate the wheat from the chaff Bribery and corruption damages business and markets and has a deeply corrosive Contents effect on countries where it’s allowed to take root. At the strategic level, there is a real need to articulate the harm caused by this activity – to answer and defeat the tired old clichés used by those who seek to justify it, and to make anti-corruption Introduction 4 an essential and visible part of the brand About this report 7 of every democracy. Executive summary 8 Domestic corruption 11 At the tactical level, we must map and Offshore exposure 17 count the problem, identify sectors most Foreign bribery laws 25 at risk, share intelligence, encourage Offshore risks 33 whistle-blowing, and maximise Thoughts from the front line 38 enforcement effort on kleptocrats, Summary of foreign bribery legislation 46 enablers, facilitators, and top tier Contact us 50 money-launderers. I welcome the results of this insightful survey into the perceived incidence of bribery and corruption in Australia and New Zealand. It sits well alongside surveys conducted by global non-government organisations. David Green CB QC Director, UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) The UK SFO is the principal agency with responsibility for enforcing the UK Bribery Act 2 Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2015 – Australia & New Zealand Separate the wheat from the chaff 3 Introduction In a first of its kind, Deloitte surveyed Australian and Many organisations we work with report similar New Zealand organisations on offshore bribery and accounts of the challenges they face in terms of corruption risk in 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Serious and Organised Crime and Its Impact on Australian Interests David Connery, Clare Murphy and Hayley Channer
    SPECIAL REPORT August 2015 A web of harms Serious and organised crime and its impact on Australian interests David Connery, Clare Murphy and Hayley Channer Executive summary This special report examines transnational, serious and That’s because dealing with serious and organised crime is organised crime and the harms it causes to Australia’s not a task for government alone: the Australian public and interests. The report aims to encourage a reinvigorated business have key roles. After all, consumer demand creates discussion among Australians about this critical matter. illicit markets that serious and organised crime seeks to supply. Additionally, the internet is increasing the speed, The harms include negative impacts upon individuals and reach and depth of penetration by serious and organised the community and unfair competition for some legitimate crime into the lives of all Australian families and businesses. businesses. Serious and organised crime—whether Simply put, you don’t need to go to nightclubs in red-light transnational or domestic—also imposes costs on Australian districts to meet organised crime: you need go only as far as governments and denies them revenue. What’s more, serious your computer. and organised crime groups acting overseas work against Australia’s foreign policy interests and increase risks to It’s also worth examining better ways to increase the roles of Australians (and others) who live, invest and travel abroad. non-law-enforcement agencies, business and the community There’s an urgent need for the Australian community to in efforts to address serious and organised crime. We should discuss the criminal threats facing it in a more deliberate and bring the full range of social, education, regulatory and broader-reaching way.
    [Show full text]