NSW ICAC promised funding boost in 2018/19

NSW’s corruption watchdog will get a multimillion-dollar boost next financial year after earlier funding cuts forced it to slash its team of investigators.

The state government has announced the Independent Commission Against Corruption will receive $27 million in 2018/19 as part of a $106 million commitment over the next four years.

“This record funding of more than $106 million underlines our commitment to a strong and fair ICAC,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a statement on Wednesday.

ICAC was given $21.1 million in 2016/17 plus an initial operating grant of $529,000.

That grant was down from $1.34 million the previous year, forcing the organisation to reduce the number of investigation units from four to three, as well as cutting the number of full-time investigators.

Shadow attorney-general Paul Lynch dismissed Ms Berejiklian’s “record funding” announcement, saying the amount would barely touch what the watchdog needed.

“The NSW government is not to be congratulated for doing the right thing and restoring ICAC’s funding following the knee-jerk decision to cut it in the first place,” he said in a statement.

“Corruption watchdogs should be allowed to investigate without fear or favour and should not have to beg for increased funding to be able to carry out their work.”

Ms Berejiklian noted Labor provided about $19.8 million in its 2010/11 budget.

ICAC underwent a major restructuring in 2016, with a single commissioner replaced by a chief commissioner and two part-time commissioners.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/aap/article-5734691/NSW-ICAC-promised-funding-boost-2018-19.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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