[7] Since January 2017, the Australia Institute has actively advocated for establishing a federal anti-corruption body, starting with an open letter signed by 49 prominent Australians urging the Prime Minister to create such a watchdog.

[8] In October 2017, it supported the formation of the National Integrity Commission, a group of former judges dedicated to advancing this cause through research, education, and commentary.

[10] As of 2019, the Labor proposal for a National Integrity Commission did not define corrupt conduct or include a threshold for investigation.

[12] In January 2018, Australian Labor Party (ALP) leader Bill Shorten pledged to establish a national integrity commission if elected.

[13] Despite earlier dismissing the idea as a "fringe issue", in December 2018, prime minister Scott Morrison promised to establish an anti-corruption body if the Liberal-National Coalition won the 2019 election.

The Morrison government model also did not give the CIC power to address "grey corruption" such as lobbying, bribery, political donations and the "revolving door".

[22] A bill produced by Independent member for Indi Helen Haines to introduce a federal anti-corruption body was blocked in Parliament by the Coalition in November 2021.

[23] By the time Haines introduced the bill, it had been refined by consultation with legal academics, panels of retired judges, civil society stakeholders, ethicists and MPs.

[32] The NACC has the power to investigate Commonwealth ministers, public servants, statutory office holders, government agencies, parliamentarians, and personal staff of politicians.

[27] It is independent of government, with the power to initiate its own investigations as well as in response to tip-offs from referrals, including whistleblowers and the public.