Integrity Commission calls for more
Tasmania's Integrity Commission is calling for more funding to address major resourcing challenges.
The Integrity Commission of Tasmania’s Chief Commissioner, Greg Melick, highlighted serious concerns in response to the recent Weiss Review recommendations.
Chief Commissioner Melick says the Commission's current budget is insufficient to meet the recommended level of investigation and oversight.
The Integrity Commission operates with a budget of $3.7 million and fewer than five full-time equivalent staff members dedicated to oversight and complaints.
"As skilled and motivated as our staff are, it is not possible within our current resourcing to thoroughly oversight the some 40,000 or so public sector workers in Tasmania, including the over 1,400 police officers," Melick explained.
The Weiss Review, conducted by former war crimes prosecutor Regina Weiss, recommended that the Integrity Commission be granted additional powers to investigate police misconduct.
Both Labor and the Greens have urged the government to implement these recommendations immediately.
However, Melick says that without increased funding and staffing, the Commission could not take on these new responsibilities.
Melick's statement follows the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings, which also recommended enhanced oversight by the Integrity Commission.
The Tasmanian government has committed to reviewing the Commission's resourcing as part of its agreement with the Jacqui Lambie Network.
Despite this, specific details on how the government plans to address the resourcing shortfall have not been provided.