Corruption Watchdog Needs More Power and Resources

Topic: Corruption

Saturday, 8 August 2026, at 9:58 am

Saturday, 8 August 2026, at 11:49 am

In short:

The head of Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission, Michael Corboy, says the agency needs more resources to investigate government contractors.

Mr Corboy wants more scrutiny on people with police-like powers, such as transit guards and prison guards.

He says the use of artificial intelligence in the public sector will be a big issue for the commission to deal with.

The corruption watchdog is facing significant resourcing challenges and needs new powers to work effectively.

The Corruption and Crime Commission's chief, Michael Corboy, has warned about these challenges as a parliamentary committee reviews the organisation's role.

Mr Corboy's top priority is to get the power to investigate corruption allegations against government contractors.

Currently, the commission can only investigate public servants employed by the government.

Michael Corboy has highlighted artificial intelligence as a key challenge for the government.

Mr Corboy did not give examples of local investigations that were hindered by the rules, but mentioned recent scandals involving consulting firms misusing data.

He said the commission could not investigate allegations that state government information was misused by private contractors.

There have been allegations that organised crime has infiltrated service providers for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which contracts with government agencies.

Michael Corboy became commissioner after John McKechnie retired.

Mr Corboy said the commission could not investigate allegations against the CFMEU, including claims that its infiltration of government projects cost Victorian taxpayers about $15 billion.

Subcontract concerns

Mr Corboy said no corruption allegations had been made about major infrastructure projects, but risks remained.

He expressed concerns about dealing with many subcontracts.

The more complex the contractual structure, the more potential there is for misconduct and corruption.

Mr Corboy is concerned about the use of contract workers within government departments, some of whom hold senior positions for a long time.

Michael Corboy has called for more resources to investigate corruption in government contractors.

He said there have been occasions when the commission could not pursue allegations against private contractors.

A state government spokesperson said major projects are subject to robust procurement and compliance frameworks.

A Public Sector Commission spokesperson said public sector managers monitor the conduct of contracted workers and address issues through contract management.

Corruption hunters

Mr Corboy said he would do more proactive corruption hunting if funding allowed.

With more money, he would do more investigations, produce more reports, and engage more with the public sector.

Mr Corboy also wants to explore more thematic issues.

The CCC is in line for its first overhaul in more than two decades.

Another potential area of focus is reviewing how police handle family and domestic violence cases.

Mr Corboy said the CCC could review more complaints itself instead of sending them back to government agencies.

If the commission had more resources, it would do more independent investigations.

'Exceptional job'

Mr Corboy laughed when asked if the commission was properly resourced.

The resourcing challenge is so great that he cannot say if the public service is seeing more or less corruption over time.

Michael Corboy says his organisation could do more independent investigations with more resources.

Efforts to provide outreach into communities have been hampered due to a lack of funds.

The Attorney-General, Tony Buti, said the Corruption and Crime Commission does an exceptional job investigating corruption in the public sector.

The commissioner has briefed him on opportunities to expand the commission's work and the required funding.

AI challenge

Mr Corboy has been the commissioner for nine months, following a long career as a lawyer and 13 years as a Supreme Court judge.

The rollout of artificial intelligence across the public sector will be a significant issue for the commission.

Michael Corboy has been in the top job for nine months, after serving as deputy commissioner.

He says AI can enhance the commission's efficiency and speed, but also poses risks.

One of Mr Corboy's legacies would be to leave a deep understanding of AI's benefits and risks for the public sector.

More scrutiny on guards

Mr Corboy wants the CCC to have more power to scrutinise officers with police-like powers, such as prison officers and transit guards.

The CCC raised concerns about the Public Transport Authority's handling of internal investigations in 2024.

There is little external oversight of how transit officers and corrections officers use their powers.

Michael Corboy wants more scrutiny on people who wield police-like powers.

The Public Transport Authority recorded about 1,500 incidents of force every three months.

Mr Corboy says there may be under-reporting of incidents to the commission.

The Public Transport Authority and Corrective Services argued against the CCC getting oversight powers.

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