Latest news with #APSCodeofConduct
The Advertiser
31-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Public Service Commissioner cleared after lid lifted on secret investigations
Gordon de Brouwer has revealed he faced two investigations into his conduct throughout the Public Service Commission's response to robodebt, but has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Two separate complaints were made to the Merit Protection Commissioner regarding Dr de Brouwer's oversight of APS Code of Conduct investigations into 16 current and former public servants involved in the robodebt scheme. Dr de Brouwer oversaw the year-long investigation into public servants after the release of the robodebt royal commission report. He ultimately decided to release a public statement naming former secretaries Renee Leon and Kathryn Campbell for breaching their codes of conduct. Ms Leon has expressed her disappointment with the findings while Ms Campbell told The Australian she felt scapegoated. Dr de Brouwer's public statement, released in September 2024, also revealed a further 10 public servants breached their codes of conduct, but did not name them. Merit Protection Commissioner Jamie Lowe, who also led the robodebt code of conduct investigations in a previous role, delegated complaints against Dr de Brouwer to two independent experts who conducted their probes between October 2024 and April 2025. The code of conduct investigations were kept secret until Dr de Brouwer opted to release a statement on Thursday afternoon, revealing none of the allegations had been substantiated and that he had not breached the APS Code of Conduct. "The independent investigations have affirmed my conduct as APS Commissioner in overseeing the robodebt Inquiry ... They have confirmed the propriety of the APSC's robodebt inquiry and its findings," his statement reads. The two investigations were led by John McMillan, a former ombudsman, acting integrity commissioner and information commissioner, and Greg Wilson, a former secretary and acting public service commissioner in the Victorian Public Service. Across both investigations, allegations included: None of these were substantiated. Dr de Brouwer said he opted to release the statement after freedom-of-information documents were released earlier this week, in which he was reasonably identifiable. "It is essential that integrity officers, including myself as Australian Public Service Commissioner, are not exempt from the processes that other public servants are subject to," Dr de Brouwer said in his statement. "The process that I underwent - as it was for those people who were investigated for breaches of the code in the robodebt inquiry - was forensic, thorough, independent and procedurally fair." Do you know more? Contact Gordon de Brouwer has revealed he faced two investigations into his conduct throughout the Public Service Commission's response to robodebt, but has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Two separate complaints were made to the Merit Protection Commissioner regarding Dr de Brouwer's oversight of APS Code of Conduct investigations into 16 current and former public servants involved in the robodebt scheme. Dr de Brouwer oversaw the year-long investigation into public servants after the release of the robodebt royal commission report. He ultimately decided to release a public statement naming former secretaries Renee Leon and Kathryn Campbell for breaching their codes of conduct. Ms Leon has expressed her disappointment with the findings while Ms Campbell told The Australian she felt scapegoated. Dr de Brouwer's public statement, released in September 2024, also revealed a further 10 public servants breached their codes of conduct, but did not name them. Merit Protection Commissioner Jamie Lowe, who also led the robodebt code of conduct investigations in a previous role, delegated complaints against Dr de Brouwer to two independent experts who conducted their probes between October 2024 and April 2025. The code of conduct investigations were kept secret until Dr de Brouwer opted to release a statement on Thursday afternoon, revealing none of the allegations had been substantiated and that he had not breached the APS Code of Conduct. "The independent investigations have affirmed my conduct as APS Commissioner in overseeing the robodebt Inquiry ... They have confirmed the propriety of the APSC's robodebt inquiry and its findings," his statement reads. The two investigations were led by John McMillan, a former ombudsman, acting integrity commissioner and information commissioner, and Greg Wilson, a former secretary and acting public service commissioner in the Victorian Public Service. Across both investigations, allegations included: None of these were substantiated. Dr de Brouwer said he opted to release the statement after freedom-of-information documents were released earlier this week, in which he was reasonably identifiable. "It is essential that integrity officers, including myself as Australian Public Service Commissioner, are not exempt from the processes that other public servants are subject to," Dr de Brouwer said in his statement. "The process that I underwent - as it was for those people who were investigated for breaches of the code in the robodebt inquiry - was forensic, thorough, independent and procedurally fair." Do you know more? Contact Gordon de Brouwer has revealed he faced two investigations into his conduct throughout the Public Service Commission's response to robodebt, but has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Two separate complaints were made to the Merit Protection Commissioner regarding Dr de Brouwer's oversight of APS Code of Conduct investigations into 16 current and former public servants involved in the robodebt scheme. Dr de Brouwer oversaw the year-long investigation into public servants after the release of the robodebt royal commission report. He ultimately decided to release a public statement naming former secretaries Renee Leon and Kathryn Campbell for breaching their codes of conduct. Ms Leon has expressed her disappointment with the findings while Ms Campbell told The Australian she felt scapegoated. Dr de Brouwer's public statement, released in September 2024, also revealed a further 10 public servants breached their codes of conduct, but did not name them. Merit Protection Commissioner Jamie Lowe, who also led the robodebt code of conduct investigations in a previous role, delegated complaints against Dr de Brouwer to two independent experts who conducted their probes between October 2024 and April 2025. The code of conduct investigations were kept secret until Dr de Brouwer opted to release a statement on Thursday afternoon, revealing none of the allegations had been substantiated and that he had not breached the APS Code of Conduct. "The independent investigations have affirmed my conduct as APS Commissioner in overseeing the robodebt Inquiry ... They have confirmed the propriety of the APSC's robodebt inquiry and its findings," his statement reads. The two investigations were led by John McMillan, a former ombudsman, acting integrity commissioner and information commissioner, and Greg Wilson, a former secretary and acting public service commissioner in the Victorian Public Service. Across both investigations, allegations included: None of these were substantiated. Dr de Brouwer said he opted to release the statement after freedom-of-information documents were released earlier this week, in which he was reasonably identifiable. "It is essential that integrity officers, including myself as Australian Public Service Commissioner, are not exempt from the processes that other public servants are subject to," Dr de Brouwer said in his statement. "The process that I underwent - as it was for those people who were investigated for breaches of the code in the robodebt inquiry - was forensic, thorough, independent and procedurally fair." Do you know more? Contact Gordon de Brouwer has revealed he faced two investigations into his conduct throughout the Public Service Commission's response to robodebt, but has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Two separate complaints were made to the Merit Protection Commissioner regarding Dr de Brouwer's oversight of APS Code of Conduct investigations into 16 current and former public servants involved in the robodebt scheme. Dr de Brouwer oversaw the year-long investigation into public servants after the release of the robodebt royal commission report. He ultimately decided to release a public statement naming former secretaries Renee Leon and Kathryn Campbell for breaching their codes of conduct. Ms Leon has expressed her disappointment with the findings while Ms Campbell told The Australian she felt scapegoated. Dr de Brouwer's public statement, released in September 2024, also revealed a further 10 public servants breached their codes of conduct, but did not name them. Merit Protection Commissioner Jamie Lowe, who also led the robodebt code of conduct investigations in a previous role, delegated complaints against Dr de Brouwer to two independent experts who conducted their probes between October 2024 and April 2025. The code of conduct investigations were kept secret until Dr de Brouwer opted to release a statement on Thursday afternoon, revealing none of the allegations had been substantiated and that he had not breached the APS Code of Conduct. "The independent investigations have affirmed my conduct as APS Commissioner in overseeing the robodebt Inquiry ... They have confirmed the propriety of the APSC's robodebt inquiry and its findings," his statement reads. The two investigations were led by John McMillan, a former ombudsman, acting integrity commissioner and information commissioner, and Greg Wilson, a former secretary and acting public service commissioner in the Victorian Public Service. Across both investigations, allegations included: None of these were substantiated. Dr de Brouwer said he opted to release the statement after freedom-of-information documents were released earlier this week, in which he was reasonably identifiable. "It is essential that integrity officers, including myself as Australian Public Service Commissioner, are not exempt from the processes that other public servants are subject to," Dr de Brouwer said in his statement. "The process that I underwent - as it was for those people who were investigated for breaches of the code in the robodebt inquiry - was forensic, thorough, independent and procedurally fair." Do you know more? Contact
Canberra Times
31-07-2025
- Canberra Times
Public Service Commissioner cleared after probe into his conduct
The investigations were kept secret until Dr de Brouwer opted to release a statement on Thursday afternoon, revealing none of the allegations had been substantiated and that he had not breached the APS Code of Conduct.
