Latest news with #integrity
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
John Hewson says we should sack the NACC
Former Liberal leader John Hewson says after two years the National Anti-Corruption Commission has failed in its mission to properly investigate allegations of systemic corruption. Hewson takes issue with the lack of action over things like procurement contracts and political pork-barrelling. He says we need an integrity commission which is prepared to have public meetings and that without that it can't be effective. GUEST: John Hewson, professor at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and former Liberal opposition leader. John Hewson, professor at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and former Liberal opposition leader. PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
SBS bus captain returns wallet with work permit, S$2,400 to grateful passenger, says: ‘It was the right thing to do'
FB screengrab/ SBS Transit Ltd SINGAPORE: SBS Transit told the heartwarming story of a kind and honest bus captain who did not hesitate to return the wallet a passenger had inadvertently left behind, which happened to contain the man's work permit and S$2,400. 'It was the right thing to do. I've lost my wallet before, so I know exactly how it feels,' b us captain Tan Chiy Ping said in SBS Transit's Jul 21 (Monday) post. He had been inspecting Bus Service 138 at Ang Mo Kio Interchange after his shift before calling it a day when he found the wallet. At that moment, the passenger, who was described in the post as 'visibly distressed,' entered the bus accompanied by Senior Assistant Interchange Supervisor Nithyananthan Palne. The man had just been to the Passenger Service Office, telling the staff about his missing wallet. After Mr Palne determined where the bus was via SBS Transit's Operations Control Centre, he brought the man to Bus Service 138. ' The timing couldn't have been better,' the post reads. Mr Palne said that the passenger 'thanked us over and over again' and that he was 'extremely grateful' since he had earmarked the money to be sent to his family back home. ' A simple act, but a huge impact, and that's integrity in action because we CARE. Well done Chiy Ping and Nathan!' the post added. This is by no means the first time that an SBS bus captain has shown such honest behaviour. Earlier this year, SBS also praised one of its bus captains who had returned a lost backpack containing S$14,000 . On Feb 4, the company thanked Chen Long for being an example of what the company stands for. On his part, the 42-year-old Mr Chen empathised with the backpack owner, writing that he could 'only imagine' the amount of worry the passenger felt. 'So I'm happy I could return it,' he said, adding, 'It's about doing the right thing.' Undoubtedly, one of SBS' biggest heroes is another bus captain who saved a four-year-old girl who had strayed onto a five-lane road in 2022 . Ong Shi Chuin had been at the wheel of his SBS Service 400 bus on Marina Boulevard on a Sunday evening, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Suddenly, he spotted a young girl running barefoot along the wide road, which stretches over five lanes. She seemed to be running towards his bus. He braked, opened the door, checked for traffic, then dashed out and scooped her up and into his bus. The girl's father was frantic. As Mr Ong told CNA: 'The father and domestic helper came to my bus and pointed at the little girl and (he) said: 'That's my kid' before thanking me.' /TISG Read also: Singaporeans praise 'old timer' bus captain for helping elderly auntie with her wheelchair () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics Commission launched and ministerial exit pay tightened in standards drive
Eligibility for the payouts given to ministers once they leave office will be tightened to prevent those who serve for only a matter of months from receiving them, the Government has announced. The move is part of an overhaul aimed at restoring trust in standards in public life, which will see the launch of a new Ethics and Integrity Commission. The commission, created from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will have a wider, stronger remit to oversee integrity across every part of the public sector. Ministers will also scrap the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments (Acoba) as part of the shake-up. Critics have said the watchdog – which assesses the jobs ex-ministers take after leaving government for conflicts of interest – is toothless and unable to enforce its rules properly. Pat McFadden, the senior Cabinet Office minister overseeing the reforms, said: 'This overhaul will mean there are stronger rules, fewer quangos and clearer lines of accountability. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has played an important role in the past three decades. These changes give it a new mandate for the future.' The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: 'But whatever the institutional landscape, the public will in the end judge politicians and Government by how they do their jobs and how they fulfil the principles of public service.' Ministers are currently entitled to a severance payment equivalent to three months' salary when they leave office for any reason, and no matter how long they have been in the job. Under the changes being announced by the Government, ministers who leave office after a serious breach of the ministerial code or who have served less than six months will not get the payment. If they return to office within three months of leaving, they will also not receive their salary until the end of that three-month period. The reforms are aimed at preventing situations like that under the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss governments, which saw some Conservative ministers who served for little more than a month receive payouts of thousands of pounds. Labour has said some £253,720 was paid out to 35 outgoing Tory ministers who were in post for less than six months during 2022, some of whom were in their jobs for 37 days. The new Ethics and Integrity Commission would be required to report annually to the prime minister on the health of the standards system. It would be chaired by Doug Chalmers, a retired lieutenant general who chairs the current Standards Committee. The committee was set up in 1994 by then-prime minister Sir John Major, after his government was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. Sir John warned in a recent speech that a small group of politicians were increasingly breaking the rules, and suggested Acoba needed to be reformed. Ministers have instead decided to scrap it and split its functions between the Civil Service Commission and the Prime Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Under reforms to the business appointments rules, ex-ministers found to have breached them by taking on inappropriate jobs will now be asked to repay any severance pay they receive.
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Starmer to unveil new sleaze watchdog
Sir Keir Starmer is poised to unveil his new sleaze watchdog in the coming days, The Telegraph can reveal. Plans are being made to announce the independent Ethics and Integrity Commission before MPs break for the summer on Tuesday. The commission will take over responsibilities for enforcing rules on lobbying for former government employees and overseeing wider standards in public life. It will also enforce the new legal 'duty of candour' for public officials which will be enacted in the Hillsborough law, which has been promised – but not yet published – by the Prime Minister. However, it is understood other bodies involved in political oversight, such as the parliamentary standards commissioner and the independent adviser on ministerial interests, will remain untouched. Labour pledge from 2021 It is unclear whether tougher new powers will be announced alongside the reorganisation, potentially opening up the plans to criticism that it is largely a rebadging of existing bodies. The commission was pledged by Labour in 2021 and was included in the party's manifesto at last summer's general election. It was used by Sir Keir and his front-benchers to argue it was time to draw a line under an era of Tory 'sleaze' seen in the latter years of the Conservative government. The Labour manifesto stated: 'Labour will restore confidence in government and ensure ministers are held to the highest standards. 'We will establish a new independent Ethics and Integrity Commission, with its own independent chair, to ensure probity in government.' But little has been said about the commission in public by ministers since July 2024, leading to speculation about the body's future. Insiders have described to The Telegraph how the new commission will operate, with its areas of responsibility now said to be finalised and awaiting announcement. The advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba), which gives advice to former ministers and senior officials about roles taken after leaving government to ensure no conflicts of interest on lobbying take place, will be folded into the commission. Acoba has long been criticised as 'toothless' since there is no obligation for those who seek advice to follow the guidance issued and it has no ability to issue punishments. Yet it is unclear if the commission will be given much stronger powers over lobbying than Acoba, even while it is taking over its responsibilities. A second body – the committee on standards in public life – is also expected to be incorporated into the new commission. That committee, which advises the Prime Minister on arrangements for upholding ethical standards of conduct across public life, was set up by Sir John Major in 1994. Sir John's premiership was hit by frequent headlines about Tory 'sleaze' before he lost the 1997 general election to Tony Blair. The 'duty of candour' the commission will oversee will be contained in the delayed Hillsborough law, which attempts to correct wrongs revealed in the Hillsborough stadium disaster of 1989. The duty of candour has been described as an ethical and legal requirement for public authorities and officials to act in the public interest with openness, honesty and transparency about their actions. Other bodies or roles involved in ethical oversight in politics, however, are expected to be largely unaffected by the new commission. These include the parliamentary standards commissioners, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and the Electoral Commission. An announcement on the new commission is being prepared to be made before the end of Tuesday, given it is deemed politically wise to unveil plans while Parliament is sitting. 'Current system does not work' But the plan could yet be pushed back if more pressing government announcements or responses to breaking news are prioritised by Downing Street over the coming days. Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, had championed the commission when it was first promised by Labour. Ms Rayner said then: 'The current system does not work and it has failed. It only works where there is respect for the rules and there are consequences for breaking them. 'If you break the rules, there should be clear consequences. Our democracy cannot hinge on gentlemen's agreements; it needs independent and robust protection from Conservative corruption. 'Labour's independent integrity and ethics commission will stamp out Conservative corruption and restore trust in public office.' A government spokesman said: 'This is speculation. This government is committed to establishing the right structures to uphold the highest standards in public life. 'We have already taken steps to improve probity and transparency, including through introducing a new ministerial code which emphasises the principles of public life, by strengthening the terms of reference for the independent adviser, and by introducing a new monthly register of gifts and hospitality.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Digital Science to strengthen research integrity in publishing with new Dimensions Author Check API
LONDON, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scholarly publishers can now fully integrate research integrity checks into their editorial and submission workflows, thanks to Digital Science's new Dimensions Author Check API, which launches today. Built on Dimensions – the world's largest interconnected global research database – Dimensions Author Check evaluates researchers' publication and collaboration histories within seconds, delivering reliable, concise, structured insights. For the first time, the new Dimensions Author Check API enables publishers to embed this functionality directly into their own workflows, without the need to switch to an outside platform. Dr Leslie McIntosh, Vice President of Research Integrity at Digital Science, said Dimensions Author Check API is designed to support consistent and confident editorial decision-making. 'By highlighting key indicators of research integrity – such as retractions, tortured phrases, or unusual co-authorship patterns – the Dimensions Author Check API helps to rapidly identify potential issues for concern. These include continuously improving indicators that will identify paper mills and increase trust in science,' Dr McIntosh said. 'Importantly, the Author Check API can do this at scale, giving publishers the ability to screen multiple researchers per request. This makes it ideal for high-volume manuscript processing and broader editorial oversight.' Key benefits of the new Dimensions Author Check API include: Seamless integration: A standards-based RESTful API designed for easy deployment within publishers' internal systems or third-party platforms. Actionable insights: Clear summaries highlighting key aspects of researchers' publication and collaboration histories. Operational efficiency: Reducing editorial workload while enhancing the quality and consistency of integrity assessments. Support for transparency and trust: Surfacing critical integrity information at key decision points, strengthening publishers' ability to adhere to ethical standards. For more information or to explore integration options, please contact the Digital Science Publisher Team. Note to editors: The Dimensions Author Check dashboard was originally announced in December last year. This announcement is specific to the Dimensions Author Check API, which launches today. About Dimensions Part of Digital Science, Dimensions hosts the largest collection of interconnected global research data, re-imagining research discovery with access to grants, publications, clinical trials, patents and policy documents all in one place. Follow Dimensions on Bluesky, X and LinkedIn. About Digital Science Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, funders, industry and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands – Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, metaphacts, OntoChem, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, and Writefull – we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit and follow Digital Science on Bluesky, on X or on LinkedIn. CONTACT: Media contact David Ellis, Press, PR & Social Manager, Digital Science: Mobile +61 447 783 023, in to access your portfolio
