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Update

The Committee resolved on 19 May 2020 to incorporate its inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commission's performance of its functions to assess and report on complaints about corrupt conduct into its Review of the Crime and Corruption Commission's activities. 

About the inquiry

The Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee (the Committee) resolved to conduct an inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commission’s (CCC) performance of its functions to assess and report on complaints about corrupt conduct (the Inquiry).

The primary role of the Committee is to monitor and review the performance of the CCC. One of the ways the Committee fulfils this role is to report to the Legislative Assembly, commenting as it considers appropriate, on matters relevant to the performance of the CCC’s functions or the exercise of the CCC’s powers.

Sections 33 to 51 of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001 (the Act) make provision for the CCC’s performance of its corruption functions, including how a person may make a complaint about corruption to the CCC, and the CCC’s responsibility for dealing with complaints about, or information or matter involving, corrupt conduct. Section 64 of the Act provides that the CCC may report in performing its corruption functions.

The CCC has the authority to deal with corruption that affects the Queensland public sector. In doing so, the CCC may consider complaints about corrupt conduct by public sector employees, any person whose conduct is believed to corrupt or affect the performance of a public agency, State Members of Parliament and local government councillors.

Terms of Reference

The Committee considered concerns raised by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Ethics Committee about the CCC’s consideration of allegations of corrupt conduct made against the Premier and Minister for Trade and the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

The Committee resolved to inquire into and report on the CCC’s performance of its functions to assess and report on complaints about corrupt conduct pursuant to sections 33 to 51 and 64 of the Act. In undertaking its Inquiry, the Committee examined:

• the statutory framework for assessing complaints and reporting under the Act
• the CCC’s procedures for assessing complaints, including the timeliness of assessments, evidence gathering and the scope of assessments
• the distinction between the CCC’s assessment and investigation of a complaint
• how the CCC may deal with a complaint following an assessment, including referring the matter to another body and the use of prosecutorial discretion
• the provision of evidence and supporting information when the CCC refers a complaint to another body
• the CCC’s public reporting of its assessment determinations, in particular those matters which attract significant public interest
• the CCC’s development and announcement of recommendations for legislative amendments arising from its assessment of complaints, and
• any other relevant matters.

As part of its inquiry, the Committee considered whether any legislative clarification is required to improve the CCC’s complaints handling process.

The Committee’s Inquiry did not consider complaints about how the CCC, or its officers, have handled individual complaints about corrupt conduct.

Call for Submissions

Submissions closed on 28 January 2020. Published submissions are available under the “View Submissions” tab above.

Public Hearing

The Committee's scheduled public hearing on 20 March 2020 was postponed.