Evidence from Australian state based anti-corruption commissions show that the ability to hold public hearings have been critical to their success. Bodies that have regular public hearings as part of their investigations, such as NSW ICAC, are much more effective in investigating and exposing systemic corruption compared to those that do not hold regular public hearings, such as South Australia, Queensland and Victoria.

This report examines the effectiveness of a national integrity commission without the ability to hold public hearings.

80 per cent of Australians support establishing a national integrity commission, and 78 per cent support establishing one with public hearings.