Transparency International Australia, the Human Rights Law Centre, and Griffith University’s Centre for Governance and Public Policy have today released A Fair Go for Speaking Up: Design Principles For Australia’s Federal Whistleblower Protection Authority, providing a comprehensive blueprint for establishing an independent body dedicated to safeguarding individuals who expose misconduct.
This release coincides with the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee’s ongoing inquiry into the Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill 2025 (No. 2), introduced by Independent MP’s Andrew Wilkie and Dr Helen Haines and Senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie. The Bill proposes the establishment of an independent statutory body dedicated to supporting whistleblowers and enforcing protections across federal jurisdictions. The Committee is accepting submissions until 30 June 2025, with a report due by 29 August 2025.
Professor A J Brown AM, Chair of Transparency International Australia and Professor at Griffith University, said:
“The release of the Design Principles for Australia’s Federal Whistleblower Protection Authority provides a clear roadmap for establishing an independent body that ensures whistleblower protections are not just theoretical but effectively implemented across both public and private sectors. This Authority would be instrumental in enforcing protections, offering support to whistleblowers, facilitating disclosures, and ensuring that no whistleblower is left unprotected.”
Kieran Pender, Acting Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, added:
“The Albanese Government has a crucial opportunity to fix our broken whistleblower laws, establish a Whistleblower Protection Authority and ensure whistleblowers are protected not punished. We commend the crossbench for pursuing this landmark reform, the Albanese Government should move swiftly to implement it.”
Sharon Kelsey, State anti-corruption whistleblower added:
“Blowing the whistle can come at an enormous personal cost. No one should have to endure job losses, face lawsuits or criminal charges for doing the right thing. Establishing a Whistleblower Protection Authority is crucial to ensure that individuals who speak up are given meaningful legal and psychological support, so no whistleblower has to go through their journey alone.”
The release of these Design Principles aligns with the 4th National Whistleblowing Symposium held today at Old Parliament House in Canberra, bringing together experts, whistleblowers, and policymakers to discuss the future of whistleblower protections in Australia.
Details
A Fair Go for Speaking Up: Design Principles for Australia’s Federal Whistleblower Protection Authority outlines a comprehensive framework for establishing an independent federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers in Australia. Developed by Transparency International Australia, the Human Rights Law Centre and Griffith University, the principles draw on extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders—including whistleblowers, lawyers, hotline providers, corporate representatives, and government officials, as well as best-practice international models.
The design principles aim to address critical gaps in Australia’s existing whistleblower protection system and provide practical, enforceable mechanisms to ensure those who speak up about wrongdoing are safeguarded and supported. It proposes ten core design principles for the Authority, including the prioritisation of whistleblower protection, legal enforcement powers, early intervention mechanisms, financial redress, and the need for independence, adequate resourcing, and a broad jurisdiction covering all federal whistleblower laws.
Originally proposed by a bipartisan Senate Committee in 1994 and reaffirmed in multiple reform efforts—including bipartisan parliamentary reports and independent bills from crossbench MPs—the creation of a Whistleblower Protection Authority has gained consistent political support. Labor committed to its establishment during the 2019 federal election, and the concept has since been embedded in several anti-corruption legislative proposals.
