Ellen McKenzie
Chief Executive Officer
The Integrity Commission has today released a research paper examining misconduct risks arising from the misuse of public resources during election campaigns.
The paper finds that Tasmania has comparatively fewer regulatory safeguards governing the use of public resources during election periods than other Australian jurisdictions.
Chief Executive Officer Ellen McKenzie said protecting the integrity of elections is essential to maintaining public trust in democratic institutions.
“Public confidence in elections depends on clear safeguards to ensure public resources are used appropriately and for their intended public purpose,” Ms McKenzie said.
“This research identifies opportunities to strengthen Tasmania’s regulatory framework and align it with contemporary good practice to help safeguard electoral integrity and public confidence.”
The paper makes 20 recommendations aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public confidence in the electoral process.
The recommendations address a range of areas, including the use of public resources by Members of Parliament and ministers, government communications and advertising, transparency measures, and legislative reforms to strengthen oversight during election periods.
The paper is the third in the Commission’s Project Acropolis research paper series on ethical conduct and misconduct risks in Tasmanian parliamentary elections. It follows the release of Tasmanian Electoral Act offences and campaign conduct (2021) and Grant Commitments in Election Campaigns (2022).
The series forms part of the Commission’s education function under the Integrity Commission Act 2009.