We encourage everyone to behave with integrity. This means doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.
Corruption is not a victimless crime. It takes resources away from vulnerable people in our community and undermines trust in government.
An organisation should have a culture of integrity that supports people. This encourages people to speak up and take action to prevent and correct poor behaviours. Corruption flourishes when it’s not called out, witnesses look the other way, or it’s swept under the rug.
To prevent corruption, we must first understand the types of conduct that can lead to it.
If the following three elements exist, it’s more likely that corrupt conduct may occur:
- opportunity (flaw in the system, limited supervision, access to large amounts of money or resources)
- incentive (financial gain, career or political benefit)
- rationalisation to justify the behaviour (a sense of frustration, greed, gambling problem, financial difficulties, or thinking there is no other solution).
Ethical decision-making
The first step to prevent corruption starts with you. Incorporate the following into your everyday approach to work, especially when making decisions:
- Take time to consider and consult
- Base decisions and advice on the evidence and merits
- Depart from policies and processes with caution (talk to your manager and document the 'why' behind decisions)
- Maintain a degree of independence
- Assume decisions will be scrutinised
- Record decisions.
To know when you should report suspected corrupt conduct, read our decision-making guides.