Thread by @RonniSalt

Almost 3 years ago, on July 1, 2023 the much anticipated National Anti-Corruption Commission began its operations.

Promised to the Australian public by Anthony Albanese as a corruption commission "with teeth", the NACC also took over the operations of the previous federal integrity body, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI).

When the NACC took over, they also shifted headquarters approx 1.1 kms away.

But even though it cost taxpayers $789,913 to shift out, the shiny new NACC was ready for operation.

They were ready and raring to go.

But let's not forget that besides the head office in Canberra, the NACC also set up offices in Brisbane (where for some reason the CEO is based), Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

And you'll be thrilled to know the NACC's Melbourne offices, which were set up to provide office space for the one Melbourne based Deputy Commissioner, were brought up to scratch at a cost to taxpayers of
~$1.3 million

Or $1,271,520 to be precise

But it gets better.

Now don't forget, the NACC has in its almost 3 years of operation, managed to obtain 1 conviction it its own right.

But in case you're wondering what people are doing there, the NACC does have a Commissioner (the recently resigned Paul Brereton) and 3 Deputy Commissioners and a CEO.

The NACC has an approx staff of 220, but those 5 individuals at the top take in a combined salary package of just over $3.5 million a year.

In the 3 years of its operations, those 5 individual's salary packages have cost the taxpayers $10.6 million, or $10,671,900 to be precise.

1 conviction.

Zero public hearings.

.

The #Robodebt Royal Commission findings were handed to the shiny new NACC on 6 July, 2023 - 5 days after the NACC began operations.

But it took the NACC almost a full year to declare that they would not be investigating the Robodebt allegations of corruption.

It took 1 year to say they wouldn't be doing anything.

What exactly took them so long?

Why did it take so long for the NACC to say they wouldn't be doing anything about Robodebt?

It's hard to say but for one thing, the NACC was busy racking up $1.1 million in travel costs in its first year of operation.

It appears, that while the Robodebt investigation was of no importance, the NACC staff were however, very busy undertaking 124 separate 'presentations' around Australia and overseas.

Not sure what exactly 'presentations' are in this sense, but they certainly accounted for a lot of air fares and accommodation.

1 conviction.

Zero public hearings.

And if you're wondering what Commissioner Paul Brereton's involvement was in the delay on investigating the Robodebt allegations, it's hard to tell given the amount of domestic and international travel he took during the time the Robodebt decision was being delayed.

While the Robodebt decison was in abeyance, Commissioner Paul Brereton was busy in Vienna, Austria and Atlanta, USA and also, Hong Kong.

You'll also note a decent amount of taxpayer funded travel for Commissioner Brereton to commute between Sydney and Canberra, even though the NACC's own statement claims that the Commissioner is "based in Canberra".

But never mind, immediately after the NACC told Australians they weren't doing anything about one of the greatest acts of public maladministration in Australia's political history, they set off again on their travel adventures.

In their second year of operation, the NACC racked up $1.4 million in travel costs, or $1,383,849 to be precise.

In the annual report for that year, the NACC states that 'presentations' were still very big business - 138 of them, which is very exciting - and that a total of 557 separate trips were made that year.

1 conviction.

Zero public hearings.

Although this year's travel figures are yet to be released, we can engage in a bit of educated supposition and average out the two previous year's costs of $1.1 million and $1.4 million and put down an approximate figure of travel costs for the 2025-26 year of $1.25 million.

So by the end of June this year, the NACC will have racked up over $3.7 million in travel costs.

Yes, you read that right.

If you're interested, here's a small peek at just some of the costs that contributed to taxpayers forking out these astonishing amounts. 👇🏽

While you're reading, keep reminding yourselves that to date the NACC has produced:

1 successful conviction in its own right

Zero public hearings

In May 2019, Jarrad Madgwick died by suicide three weeks before his 23rd birthday.

He had received a #robodebt notice for $2,000 just hours earlier.

The amount of that alleged debt, a mere $2,000, was just over half the amount the NACC spent on travel for the CEO in one 48 hour period.

1 conviction.

Zero public hearings.

In January 2017, Rhys Cauzzo took his own life after being pursued for months over an alleged $28,000 robodebt.

The alleged debt of $28,000 that this much-loved 27 year old man was relentlessly pursued over, is less than 25% of the NACC Commissioner's Paul Brereton's international travel costs in 2023-24.

1 conviction.

Zero public hearings.