Allegations of improper conduct
Former government services and NDIS minister Stuart Robert has been referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) by a parliamentary committee over allegations of improper conduct involving a lobbying firm and government contracts. The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) recommended that the NACC investigate the matters in an interim report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The committee has been conducting an inquiry into procurement at Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) relating to Synergy 360, a consulting firm co-owned by John Margerison, a “longtime friend, business partner and political fundraiser” of Mr Robert. The inquiry was prompted by a review produced by former Department of Prime Minister secretary Dr Ian Watt, which found that 19 of the 95 procurements within the scope of the review warranted further investigation.
The inquiry heard evidence that Synergy 360 proposed to secretly funnel money to Mr Robert through a separate entity called United Marketing, which was also owned by Mr Margerison. The inquiry also heard that Mr Robert was involved in helping Synergy 360 clients secure lucrative taxpayer contracts with Services Australia and the NDIA, while he was the minister responsible for those agencies.
A referral not made lightly
The committee chair and Labor MP Julian Hill said that the referral to the NACC was not made lightly, but there was no other appropriate course of action given the seriousness and systemic nature of the allegations. He said that the committee had established some matters, but was limited by resourcing, a lack of forensic accounting expertise, and uncooperating key witnesses to make clear findings as to the truth.
“An agency with compulsory questioning, document gathering, and investigatory powers may be able to properly assess these matters,” Mr Hill told Parliament. He added that the referral was not making any findings in relation to the conduct of any individuals, but rather asking the NACC to examine all material gathered through the inquiry.
Mr Hill said that the committee had received concerning evidence regarding financial impropriety, improper relationships and undisclosed conflicts of interests with parties receiving contracts from the Commonwealth. He said that some of the evidence was corroborated by other sources, but many questions remained unresolved.
A political weapon
Mr Robert, who resigned from parliament in May amid mounting allegations, denied any wrongdoing and criticised the referral to the corruption watchdog. He said that it was a political stunt by a Labor-dominated committee using parliamentary privilege and process to even up political scores and using the NACC as a political weapon.
“A Labor-dominated committee using parliamentary privilege and process to even up political scores and using the NACC as a political weapon — who would have thought?” Mr Robert told the ABC.
He also accused Mr Hill of being biased and unprofessional, and said that he had not been given a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations before the report was tabled.
This is the first time a parliamentary committee has recommended such a referral to the NACC, since the agency opened its doors on July 1. The NACC has received 908 referrals since then, according to its latest statistics.
