Australian Anti-Corruption Boss Paul Brereton Admits to Being a Distraction

Paul Brereton, the outgoing National Anti-Corruption Commissioner, has admitted to being a distraction for the watchdog during a Senate inquiry. He announced his resignation on Monday, two years before his term was set to finish.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission boss faced questions about his shock resignation and his handling of conflicts of interests. Brereton stated that the focus on his conduct had drawn attention away from the agency's work.

The press attention is focused on me and my interests, Brereton said. That's because the need to defend them has become a distraction, and that's basically why I've decided it's in the organisation's interests that I remove that distraction.

I think everyone contributes to their own downfall, if you like, in some ways, and I'm sure I have contributed.

Brereton had continued to provide advice to government agencies in relation to the Afghanistan war crimes inquiry during his time as NACC commissioner. This included consulting for the inspector-general of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) on 11 occasions.

On Tuesday evening, he said he had disclosed his ongoing affiliations with the IGADF, which consisted of 30 hours in three years, but he didn't see the need to disclose the precise nature of what he was doing.

Greens senator David Shoebridge said this highlighted the central issue: the problem was that Brereton wasn't transparent, and he didn't recognise the need to be transparent. Particularly when he was performing work for the defence establishment, and a significant customer of the NACC, which he was leading, was defence.

In February, the ABC revealed that complaints over Brereton's defence ties triggered NACC inspector Gail Furness to launch a second investigation into potential officer misconduct.

The senate committee heard Brereton was provided with a copy of the inspector's draft report on March 19, and he was invited to provide submissions in response, which were done via external lawyers who were paid $204,000.

It followed Brereton stepping away from all defence-related corruption referrals last year, due to concerns over the impact his defence connections could have on investigations.

The commissioner was found to have engaged in officer misconduct in 2024, after failing to adequately manage a declared conflict of interest issue linked to a Robodebt referral.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said a new commissioner would be chosen through a merit-based process, with Brereton's final day set for July 6.

Ms Furness is also scheduled to face Senate estimates later this evening.

And what happens next is that the National Anti-Corruption Commission will continue its work, with a new commissioner at the helm. The focus will be on the agency's work, rather than the commissioner's personal conduct.

The question remains: how will the agency rebuild trust with the public, and how will it move on from this controversy.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has a crucial role to play in ensuring that those in power are held accountable for their actions.