At federal level, whistleblowers face potential imprisonment for making disclosures about certain subjects, including national security[1] and immigration[2] matters.
[3] Laws have subsequently been introduced in other states and territories, culminating with the adoption of federal legislation with the passage of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013.
Australia has made significant strides in the area of whistleblower protection for the private sector, with new legislation to amend the Corporations Act.
The PID Act arose in response to the report on Whistleblower Protection: a comprehensive scheme for the Commonwealth public sector by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman is responsible for promoting awareness and understanding of the PID Act as well as providing guidance, information and resources about making, managing and responding to disclosures.
[8] Since the Abbott government took office, federal agencies have referred journalists from The Guardian Australia, news.com.au and The West Australian using this provision in a bid to uncover the sources for immigration stories.
[10] The Guardian noted that any act committed by ASIO could be declared a Special Intelligence Operation with the Attorney-General's approval and removed from scrutiny.
[2] Medical professionals who have worked at Nauru are launching a High Court challenge against the secrecy provisions of the Australian Border Force Act 2015.