NT New Ethics Commissioner and Oversight Inspector, and Fines or Jail for Misleading the Inspector

Integrity and Ethics Commissioner Bill 2025

25 Nov 2025: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

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Topics

anti-corruption criminal penalties government accountability government ethics government transparency health sector ethics professional conduct public sector integrity public sector oversight

Introduced by: The Hon Lia Finocchiaro MLA (CLP) — Chief Minister

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Creates the positions of Integrity and Ethics Commissioner and Integrity and Ethics Oversight Inspector.
The Administrator can only appoint the Commissioner after the Legislative Assembly recommends a person for the job.
The Administrator must remove the Commissioner from office if two-thirds of the Legislative Assembly pass a resolution to do so within six sitting days of a statement being tabled.
It is a criminal offence to intentionally ignore a direction given under the Act.
It is a criminal offence to knowingly provide misleading information to a public official.
The Commissioner and their staff must give the Inspector all reasonable help when the Inspector is evaluating a matter or dealing with a complaint.
The Inspector cannot handle grievances or complaints under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 1993.
The Act binds the Crown in right of the Territory.
A person cannot be appointed as the Inspector if they are, or have been in the last 12 months, the Health Complaints Commissioner or a staff member.
Supplementary Inspectors must take an oath to perform their duties faithfully and impartially before they start work.
People who intentionally ignore a direction from the Inspector--knowing they are providing misleading information to an official--can be fined or jailed.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Lia Finocchiaro CLP

“Madam Speaker, I present a Bill titled Integrity and Ethics Commissioner Bill 2025, Serial 46, and table the explanatory statement. I move that the Bill be read a first time.”

Official source →

Steven Edgington CLP

“Madam Speaker, I move that the Bill be now read a second time.”

Official source →

Selena Uibo ALP

“Madam Speaker, this is an important Bill for the Northern Territory because integrity has been a strong theme since the CLP came to power 15 months ago, but not necessarily in a good way.”

Official source →

Gerard Maley CLP

“Mr Deputy Speaker, before I make my contribution I will speak about a few things the Opposition Leader said. She mentioned that the CLP had dropped the ball and thinks it knows better. This report was done by McClintock and Hiley, two renowned and senior people in Australia.”

Official source →

Matthew Kerle CLP

“Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill. It seems that this government is constantly having to fix up messes that were left to us after eight years of an incompetent failing Labor government. I had high hopes in 2017 when then Chief Minister Michael Gunner first announced that he would bring in an ICAC, but I also had my doubts.”

Official source →