Disclosing suspected wrongdoing under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) commenced on 15 January 2014. The PID Act encourages and facilitates the disclosure of information by both current and former public officials about suspected wrongdoing in the public sector.
The PID Act only applies to current and former Commonwealth employees, contractors and certain individuals determined to be public officials by an ASD Authorised Officer. For others wishing to report fraud and corruption related issues please see ASD Fraud and Corruption.
You can find out more about the PID Act at Commonwealth Ombudsman: Public Interest Disclosure Scheme.
Disclosures about suspected wrongdoing in the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) which involve intelligence information* must only be made directly to your ASD supervisor or manager, an authorised officer of ASD or the Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. If your disclosure includes any classified information, inform the authorised officer before disclosing it. The authorised officer will advise you how to appropriately communicate this information to ASD or IGIS.
You can email an ASD authorised officer at asd.pid@defence.gov.au or contact IGIS.
If you fail to comply with these requirements, you may not receive the protections provided by the PID Act. You may also be subject to civil, criminal or disciplinary action.
As long as you do not make false or misleading statements, you cannot be sued for defamation if you make a PID Act disclosure.
*Section 41 of the PID Act provides a comprehensive definition of 'intelligence information.'