paul brereton has resigned as Australia’s first national anti-corruption commissioner after almost three years in the role. His departure leaves the National Anti-Corruption Commission without the commissioner who oversaw its first years of operation.
Brereton said ongoing questions about his leadership have become a distraction for the commission. He also said the NACC will continue to ensure public sector corruption is appropriately addressed after his departure.
Brereton and the NACC
Brereton was the first person to hold the national anti-corruption commissioner role in Australia. During his tenure, he oversaw the establishment of the commission, which managed almost 7,500 referrals and produced seven investigation reports.
Those figures show the scale of the body Brereton leaves behind. The NACC has already handled a large caseload and issued multiple reports, even as the leadership questions he referred to now end his tenure.
Paul Brereton’s departure
The commission now moves on without its founding commissioner. Brereton’s statement gives the clearest reason for his exit: he said the leadership questions were distracting the commission from its work.
That leaves the organisation to carry on the same functions under new leadership, with almost 7,500 referrals already managed and seven investigation reports already produced during his time in office.
