“I was heartened to hear that no conviction has been recorded against Tax Office whistleblower Richard Boyle, the only sanction being a 12-month good behaviour bond. Mr Boyle is of course the former ATO officer who blew the lid on egregious misconduct within the Tax Office, allegations that were subsequently found to be true.
“Many Australians were appalled that any action was taken against this brave whistleblower. Indeed, there certainly should never have been a drawn-out and expensive court case.
“The sad reality is, though, that despite promises from the Australian Government to make legislative changes, our whistleblower protections remain deeply inadequate and leave individuals with unsatisfactory protections or pathways to lawfully disclose malfeasance or misconduct in the public interest. This often takes an immense personal, legal and financial toll on whistleblowers, their friends and families.
“Whistleblowing will not be safe in Australia until there is an independent Whistleblower Protection Authority to advise and support people who are witness to misconduct and need to speak up. We also need effective media freedom laws to ensure that the media can bring such allegations to the public’s attention. And, of course, we still need reform of the Public Interest Disclosure Act for the public sector, and reform of the relevant section of the Corporations Act for the private sector. Although some of these sorts of measures have been long promised by successive governments and oppositions, precious little has so far been done.”