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Academic joins Royal Commissions review
Fitzgerald, Costigan, Davies. Famous names for famous Royal Commissions that investigated corruption, tax evasion, trade unions and hospitals in recent decades.
Now University of the Sunshine Coast academic and author Dr Scott Prasser will be part of a legal review that aims to determine the future powers of Royal Commissions in Australia.
Dr Prasser, who is Senior Lecturer in Management in USC’s Faculty of Business, has been invited to join the advisory committee of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s review of the Royal Commissions Act 1902.
Australia’s Attorney-General seeks a final report from the review by 30 October. Participants were invited as “acknowledged leaders in their field”.
Dr Prasser, whose books include ‘Royal Commissions and Public Inquiries in Australia’, said the subject was a long-term passion. As an undergraduate in 1974 he worked in Canberra on the Royal Commission into federal government administration.
“These commissions have had a big impact on government and policy issues in our society, from anti-corruption policy to transforming our tax and health systems,” he said.
He expected an issue that sparked this new review was the inquiry into Dr Mohammed Haneef.
“There are lots of different government inquiries, taskforces, advisory bodies and reviews but Royal Commissions are the Rolls Royce of inquiries.
“They have real power to make people do things, to give evidence. This committee will look at whether they should have such powers to investigate.”
Dr Prasser believed Royal Commissions were successful because of these powers.
“When the government appoints a Royal Commission, such as the excellent Davies report into Queensland hospitals, it’s a reflection that all other institutions of governments have failed. It’s the only way to get the truth.”
He expected considerable debate during the review process, to be followed by debate in Parliament.
– Julie Gatehouse