Developing an Ethical Culture in Public Sector Governance: The Role of Integrity Agencies

Integrity in government can be conceived as a system of laws, regulations, conventions, codes of conduct and established agencies which, taken together as a system, aim to address corruption, misconduct and maladministration. This article discusses the notion of a system of integrity and then focuses on integrity agencies as one contribution towards developing an ethical culture in public administration. Integrity agencies, for various reasons, require independence from the government in order to effectively fulfill their roles. The article raises a number of incidents where executive overreach, in particular, has challenged this independence and suggests a number of ways where independence can be protected and even fostered. The article focuses primarily on the Commonwealth government and is particularly relevant at a time when the Commonwealth Parliament is examining proposals to establish an anti-corruption body.