Thomas introduced a motion to the Assembly calling on the ACT Government to adopt a stronger whistleblowing framework. The motion included calls for:

• the ACT to follow NSW in establishing a dedicated whistleblower support service providing casework, legal and wellbeing support for public sector workers who want to speak up about wrongdoing;
• an update on the ACT Government’s implementation of the recommendations from a 2023 review of our whistleblowing laws; and 
• that clear guidance and educational materials on whistleblowing pathways and processes are made available and distributed across the ACT public sector.

During the debate on the motion, Thomas tabled a whistleblower statement and public interest disclosure (PID) alleging maladministration involving the Canberra Institute of Technology’s (CIT) Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence. He also tabled a PID and statement from Mr Brendan Moyle, the former head of the ACT Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, alleging multiple breaches of legislation in relation to the ACT Government’s failure to deliver on its commitments to First Nations people. 

In his remarks, Thomas explained that the tabled documents showed why a stronger whistleblowing framework was required, given both public servants alleged having raised and escalated issues multiple times internally without seeing any appropriate investigation or action occur in response to their concerns – hence having brought them to Thomas to raise in the Assembly.

Thomas then sought the Assembly’s support  to publish both statements and public interest disclosures. The Opposition Leader, Mark Parton, moved to defer debate on that motion until the following day. 

The motion on strengthening the ACT’s whistleblowing framework passed the Assembly with unanimous support, requiring the ACT Government to report back on its progress and expected timelines toward implementing the recommendations from the 2023 PID Act review, and report back on options, expected funding requirements and timelines for implementation of the whistleblower support function by the last sitting week of 2026. 

Upon resumption of debate on Thursday, Labor and the Liberals voted to block the public release of the tabled documents, despite unanimous support from the crossbench for publishing them.

You can find the motion here.