What happens next? Beyond a finding of serious misconduct

Inquiry status:

Past

Date commenced:

23 Mar 2022

Tabling date:

30 Nov 2023

Deadline for submissions:

29 Jul 2022

Date Ended:

30 Nov 2023

Committee

Joint Standing Committee on the Corruption and Crime Commission

House:

Joint

Host House:

Legislative Assembly

Important Information:

If you want to be added to the inquiry update list please contact the committee at jscccc@parliament.wa.gov.au

Terms of Reference:

The committee will inquire into what happens after a public officer* is found to have engaged in serious misconduct including:

1. disciplinary and other sanctions imposed by departments, local government, the Western Australia Police Force and other authorities

2. unexplained wealth and criminal benefits proceedings initiated by the Corruption and Crime Commission

3. criminal prosecutions arising from serious misconduct investigations including prosecuting arrangements, challenges and outcomes

4. the roles of the Corruption and Crime Commission, Public Sector Commission, departments, local government, the Western Australia Police Force and other authorities in taking action, oversighting and/or reporting the above outcomes

5. measures to improve the effectiveness, transparency and/or oversight of the above.

* ‘public officer’ includes a public service officer, police officer, member of either House of Parliament, and member, officer or employee of any authority, board, corporation, commission, local government or council of local government.

Submission Number	Submitting person/organisation
1	Department of Health received on 5 May 2022
2	Parliamentary Inspector of the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia received on 17 May 2022
3	Civil Liberties Australia - WA received on 20 May 2022
4	The Law Society of Western Australia received on 27 May 2022
6	PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA received on 30 May 2022
7	Corruption and Crime Commission received on 1 Jun 2022
8	Public Sector Commission received on 1 Jun 2022
9	Office of the Auditor General received on 1 Jun 2022
10	Western Australia Police Force received on 2 Jun 2022
11	Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries received on 2 Jun 2022
12	Local Government Elected Members Association Inc received on 3 Jun 2022
13	Fremantle Ports received on 3 Jun 2022
14	Western Power received on 3 Jun 2022
15	Horizon Power received on 3 Jun 2022
16	Director of Public Prosecutions for Western Australia received on 9 Jun 2022
17	Department of Communities received on 10 Jun 2022
18	City of Joondalup received on 10 Jun 2022
19	Community and Public Sector Union and Civil Service Association received on 1 Jul 2022
20	Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Limited received on 4 Jul 2022
21	East Metropolitan Health Service received on 19 Jul 2022
22	Child and Adolescent Health Service received on 29 Jul 2022
23	WA Country Health Service received on 29 Jul 2022
24	Health Support Services received on 28 Jul 2022
25	North Metropolitan Health Service received on 5 Aug 2022
26	Department of Transport received on 3 Jun 2022

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Unless a venue is specified, hearings are held at the
Legislative Assembly Committee Rooms, Level 2, 2 Parliament Place, West Perth

Date	Time	Venue	Organisation	Witness
15 Aug 2022	10:15 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Corruption and Crime Commission	Mr John McKechnie QC (Commissioner), Mr David Robinson (Acting Chief Executive), Ms Tracey Polmear (Director, Assessment and Strategy Development), Ms Kirsten Nelson (Director Legal Services) and Mr David Scott Ellis (Acting Commissioner)
15 Aug 2022	11:45 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Aboriginal Legal Service	Mr Peter Collins (Director Legal Services) and Ms Alice Barter (Managing Lawyer)
15 Aug 2022	01:00 PM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Director of Public Prosecutions	Mr Robert Owen (Acting Director) and Ms Alison Finn (Legal Projects Officer)
15 Aug 2022	01:45 PM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	State Solicitor's Office	Ms Angela Komninos (Acting State Solicitor), Mr Alan Sefton (State Counsel) and Ms Michelle Lindley (Senior Assistant)
21 Sep 2022	10:15 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Public Sector Commission	Ms Sharyn O'Neill (Public Sector Commissioner), Mr Dan Volaric (Executive Director, Integrity and Risk) and Ms Melissa Travers (Principal Legal Officer)
19 Oct 2022	10:15 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Western Australia Police Force	Mr Colin Blanch (Commissioner), Mr Paul Coombes (Detective Superintendent) and Mr Greg Crofts (Superintendent, Ethical Standards)
27 Mar 2023	10:15 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Office of the Auditor General	Ms Caroline Spencer (Auditor General), Mr Carl Huxtable (Assistant Auditor General, Forensic), Mr Tim Hughes (Principal Adviser) and Ms Sandra Labuschagne (Deputy Auditor General)
27 Mar 2023	11:00 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	North Metropolitan Health Service and Department of Health	Dr Shirley Bowen (Chief Executive), Mr Mike Cullen (Director Integrity, Business Performance), Dr David Russell-Weisz (Director General) and Ms Kristy Edmonds (Director, System-Wide Integrity Services)
27 Mar 2023	12:15 PM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Department of Education	Ms Lisa Rodgers (Director General), Mr Jay Peckitt (Deputy Director General, Education Business Services) Ms Mary Brown (Executive Director, Professional Standards and Conduct), Ms Cindy Barnard (Executive Director, Workforce) and Ms Susie Baker (Acting Director, Standard and Integrity)
27 Mar 2023	01:30 PM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Western Power	Mr Sam Barbaro (Chief Executive Officer), Mr Andrew Cook (Managing Counsel) and Mr Chris Porteous (Senior Forensic Advisory Specialist)
27 Mar 2023	02:30 PM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Department of Justice	Dr Adam Tomison (Director General) and Mr James August (Acting Executive Director, People Culture Standards)
27 Mar 2023	03:30 PM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Transport	Mr Peter Woronzow (Director General), Mr Mark Burgess (Managing Director, Public Transport Authority) and Mr Iain Cameron (Managing Director)
29 Mar 2023	09:45 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 1	Department of Communities	Mr Mike Rowe (Director General), Mr Shayne Maines (Deputy Director General, Governance, Integrity and Reform) and Mr Andrew Salter (Executive Director, Professional Standards)
10 May 2023	10:00 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 1	Local Government Elected Members Association
17 May 2023	10:15 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 1	Department of Local Government	Ms Lanie Chopping (Director General), Mr Michael Palermo (Director Integrity), Mr Tim Fraser (Executive Director Local Government) and Mr Liam O'Neill (Principal Strategy Officer Local Government)
30 Aug 2023	09:15 AM	Legislative Assembly Committee Office - Meeting Room 2	Corruption and Crime Commission	Mr John McKechnie KC (Commissioner), Mr Scott Ellis (Acting Commissioner) Ms Tracey Polmear (Director, Assessment and Strategy Development), Ms Kirsten Nelson (Director Legal Services), Ms Emma Johnson (Chief Executive), Mr Christopher Casale (Acting Director, Investigations) and Ms Natasha Erlandson (Executive Director)

Related Transcripts of Evidence:

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Evidence by.. Mr John McKechnie (Commissioner, Corruption and Crime Commission), Mr David Scott Ellis (Acting Commissioner, Corruption and Crime Commission), Mr David Robinson (Acting Chief Executive, Corruption and Crime Commission), Ms Kirsten Nelson (Director, Legal Services, Corruption and Crime Commission), Ms Tracey Polmear (Director, Assessment and Strategy Development, Corruption and Crime Commission) and Mr Jonothan Tuttle (Deputy Director, Operations, Corruption and Crime Commission) on 15 Aug 2022

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Evidence by.. Mr Peter Collins (Director, Legal Services, Aboriginal Legal Service of WA) and Ms Alice Barter (Managing Lawyer, Civil Law and Human Rights Unit, Aboriginal Legal Service of WA) on 15 Aug 2022

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Evidence by.. Mr Robert Owen (Acting Director of Public Prosecutions) and Ms Alison Finn (Legal Projects Officer, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) on 15 Aug 2022

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Evidence by.. Ms Angela Komninos (Acting State Solicitor, State Solicitor's Office) and Ms Michelle Lindley (Senior Assistant State Solicitor, State Solicitor's Office) on 15 Aug 2022

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Evidence by.. Ms Sharyn O'Neill (Public Sector Commissioner), Mr Dan Volaric (Executive Director, Integrity and Risk, Public Sector Commission) and Ms Melissa Travers (Principal Legal Officer, Public Sector Commission) on 21 Sep 2022

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Evidence by.. Mr Colin Blanch (Commissioner of Police, Western Australia Police Force), Mr Paul Coombes (Detective Superintendent, Internal Affairs, Western Australia Police Force) and Mr Greg Crofts (Superintendent, Ethical Standards Division, Western Australia Police Force) on 19 Oct 2022

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Evidence by.. Ms Caroline Spencer (Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General), Ms Sandy Labuschagne (Deputy Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General), Mr Carl Huxtable (Assistant Auditor General, Forensic, Office of the Auditor General) and Mr Tim Hughes (Principal Adviser, Office of the Auditor General) on 27 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Dr David Russell-Weisz (Director General, Department of Health), Dr Shirley Bowen (Chief Executive, North Metropolitan Health Service), Mr Mike Cullen (Director, Integrity, North Metropolitan Health Service and Dr Kristy Edmonds (Director, System-wide Integrity Services, Department of Health) on 27 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Mr Sam Barbaro (Chief Executive Officer, Western Power), Mr Chris Porteous (Senior Forensic Advisory Specialist, Western Power) and Mr Andrew Cook (Manging Counsel, Western Power) on 27 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Dr Adam Tomison (Director General, Department of Justice) and Mr James August (Acting Executive Director, Department of Justice) on 27 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Mr Peter Woronzow (Director General, Department of Transport), Mr Iain Cameron (Managing Director, Department of Transport) and Mr Mark Burgess (Managing Director, Public Transport Authority) on 27 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Ms Lisa Rodgers (Director General, Department of Education), Ms Susie Baker (Acting Director, Standards and Integrity, Department of Education), Ms Cindy Barnard (Executive Director, Workforce, Department of Education), Mr Jay Peckitt (Deputy Director General, Education Business Services, Department of Education) and Ms Mary Brown (Executive Director, Professional Standards and Conduct, Department of Education) on 27 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Mr Michael Rowe (Director General, Department of Communities), Mr Shayne Maines (Deputy Director General, Governance, Integrity and Reform, Department of Communities) and Mr Andrew Salter (Executive Director, Professional Standards, Department of Communities) on 29 Mar 2023

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Evidence by.. Ms Keri Shannon (Chair, Local Government Elected Members Association WA Inc), Ms Sandra Boulter (Deputy Chair-Secretary, Local Government Elected Members Association WA Inc), Mr John Raftis (Committee Member, Local Government Elected Members Association WA Inc) and Mr Daniel Kingston (Committee Member, Local Government Elected Members Association WA Inc) on 10 May 2023

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Evidence by.. Ms Lanie-Maree Chopping (Director General, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries), Mr Michael Palermo (Director Integrity, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries), Mr Tim Fraser (Executive Director Local Government, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries) and Mr Liam O'Neill (Principal Strategy Officer Local Government, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries) on 17 May 2023

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Evidence by.. Mr JOHN McKECHNIE, KC (Corruption and Crime Commissioner), Mr SCOTT ELLIS (Acting Commissioner), Ms EMMA JOHNSON (Chief Executive), Ms KIRSTEN NELSON (Director, Legal Services), Mrs TRACEY POLMEAR (Director, Assessment and Strategy Development), Ms NATASHA ERLANDSON (Director, Executive) on 30 Aug 2023

Related Reports:

Report No	Title	Date tabled	Related documents
11	What Happens Next? Beyond a Finding of Serious Misconduct: Examining the responses to a finding of serious misconduct and building integrity in public agencies	30 Nov 2023	More...

Members conducting inquiry

Members:

Mr Matthew Hughes MLA
Hon. Dr Steve Thomas MLC
Hon. Mia Davies MLA
Hon. Klara Andric MLC

Staff Members:

Ms Suzanne Veletta (Principal Research Officer)
Ms Jovita Hogan, BA (Hons). (Research Officer)