Nacc chief Paul Brereton resigns as head of anti-corruption body

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Brereton says ‘ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally’ were ‘drawing attention away from the commission’s core purpose’

Paul Brereton, Australia’s first national anti-corruption commissioner, will step down from the top job in July, citing criticism of him as “drawing attention away” from the body’s purpose.

In a statement on Monday afternoon, Brereton said the “ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally” were “drawing attention away from the commission’s core purpose of strengthening integrity”.

“I believe that the commission’s success is paramount, and not due to any single person,” Brereton said.

“While I will continue to resist any suggestion of impropriety, I have decided that it is time, now that the commission is established and functioning with quality staff and good processes, to step aside and allow a new commissioner to lead it into the next phase of its development into a key and respected component of the integrity architecture of the commonwealth.”

Brereton has been in the role since July 2023, and his final day will be 6 July.

The Nacc will appear before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday evening. Brereton was expected to appear after the Greens passed a motion requiring his attendance earlier this month.

Brereton has attracted criticism for doing consulting work for his previous employer – the inspector-general of the Australian defence force (IGADF) – while serving as the Nacc’s commissioner.

The work related to his former position leading an inquiry into alleged war crimes involving Australian troops in Afghanistan. In a letter to the attorney general last October, Brereton described the work as “ongoing, very modest informal assistance”.

Senior officials from the attorney general’s department told a Senate estimates inquiry on Monday the Nacc inspector had provided “some weeks ago” a draft report on whether Brereton had breached any rules or policies for his right of reply.

The Nacc was also heavily criticised after an initial decision in 2024 to not investigate the six people referred to it by the robodebt royal commission. It subsequently reversed the decision the next year.

The Nacc inspector, which received more than 1,000 complaints, found that the initial decision was “affected by apprehended bias”, after determining Brereton had not removed himself from the decision-making process despite declaring a perceived conflict of interest with one of the six individuals.

But the report also noted there was “no finding of intentional wrongdoing or other impropriety”.

A report was eventually released earlier this year, which found two of the public servants referred had engaged in serious corrupt conduct.

The news was welcomed by a number of integrity advocates, who have repeatedly warned the spotlight on Brereton’s decisions had cast a shadow over the corruption monitor.

The Centre for Public Integrity chair, Anthony Whealy, said public confidence in the Nacc “been tested by ongoing concerns about conflicts of interest, transparency and governance”.

“The controversies surrounding Commissioner Brereton, including findings of apprehended bias and ongoing investigations into the handling of conflicts of interest, have reinforced why strong institutional safeguards matter so deeply to public trust,” he said.

The Greens senator, David Shoebridge, said his resignation was the “right outcome” and “a step towards rebuilding trust” in the Nacc.

“The NACC was established because Australians demanded genuine, independent accountability in the commonwealth public sector. That task is more important than any single commissioner,” he said.

The independent ACT senator, David Pocock, who said in November 2024 Brereton’s role leading the anti-corruption body was “untenable”, welcomed the decision.

Clancy Moore, the chief executive of Transparency International Australia, said a “transparent, merit-based process” was essential in determining the new commissioner.

“Showing the public how it prevents and combats corruption through public inquiry, public hearings and growing awareness will help build much needed trust and cement its role the next phase of the organisation,” Moore said.

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