State will fight rot: PM

 THE government will introduce and enforce Organic Laws needed to fight corruption in the country, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says.

O’Neill said that at the opening of a three-day British High Commission-sponsored anti-corruption initiative in the country.

He said measures to curb corruption would include whistle-blower protection legislation and sound freedom of information legislation.

He said the creation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) would not cause conflict with existing agencies such as the Ombudsman Commission.

O’Neill said the ICAC would be the central coordinating agency for the fight against corruption and it would build on the excellent work of Task Force Sweep Team. “It will show that our government is serious about reducing – to the greatest possible extent – corruption, abuse and fraud in public life, public office and in government-owned corporations and agencies.

“We will carry out an extensive community education campaign before ICAC is operational.  I do not pretend for one minute these measures alone will end corruption. But they will make a real and immediate impact,” O’Neill said.

He said accompanying the ICAC establishment would be a major public education campaign that needed to cover not just how people could report corruption, but education on the roles of the highest to lowest government and public officials.