The Centre for Public Integrity

The Centre for Public Integrity is an independent think tank dedicated to restoring integrity to Australia’s democracy.

Integrity is what holds democracies together. When it’s diminished, trust in democracies is eroded. When trust is low, populism rises. Around the world, democracies suffer from vested interests influencing policy, executive overreach and secrecy, and the erosion of accountability. Poor policy outcomes follow.

Our proposition is clear: invest in the Centre for Public Integrity and catalyse the change necessary to restore integrity to the foundations of Australia’s democracy.

Why the Centre for Public Integrity?
Our research priorities address the four most pressing issues facing integrity in Australia:
– Removing the undue influence of big money in politics
– Achieving transparency in the exercise of public power
– Protecting the independence of our accountability institutions
– Ensuring checks and balances exist on executive power

Our expert-led model is unique, comprising academics and practitioners, the Centre’s expert committees guide and champion enable the Centre’s research to be world-class without large wage costs.
We have four research pillars:
Money in Politics – Eliminating the undue influence of money in politics
Executive Power – Ensuring the elected executive plays by the rules of our democratic system
Accountability Institutions – Protecting independence and funding of Australia’s accountability institutions
Transparency – Ensuring transparency in the exercise of public power

Our values drive all we do. And match what we ask of others.
– We are accountable. We hold ourselves responsible for what we do.
– We are innovative. We think creatively about the big problems facing democracy and design innovative policy solutions
– We are transparent. We’re open about where our money comes from, who we work with and how we go about our work
– We are rigorous. Our research is meticulous, guided by committees comprising the country’s most eminent academics and practitioners and overseen by a Research Committee of senior academics and jurists.
– We are ambitious. We live to think big and increase ambition on integrity reform.

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