Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is currently withering under a ferocious bipartisan attack. This follows dozens of complaints against its head, Paul Brereton. The main concerns are his long-standing relationships with Australian Defence Force (ADF). Their action highlights the potential for conflicts of interest and the way in which defence-related corruption inquiries are conducted.
Inspector Gail Furness, of the NACC, published a new report on October 30 th , 2025. It drew attention to a fourfold jump in complaints against the commission. During the financial year 2024/2025, Furness handled 75 complaints—an increase from 50 in the prior fiscal year. This surge not only underscores the growing criticism over the commission’s functioning but over Brereton’s leadership.
Complaints Against Brereton
Brereton is under considerable scrutiny for his conclusion that he had cut all formal ties with Defence. The sudden new arrangements raise serious questions about his integrity and transparency from day one. The NACC Inspector is looking into multiple complaints about Brereton’s continued connection with Defence. One of the most serious allegations is lodged by a whistleblower, a former NACC employee. This creates a serious appearance of a conflict of interest and deserves serious scrutiny.
Furness confirmed that two complaints against Brereton have been dismissed, with two others still active. She agreed with the commissioner’s response to one part of one of the complaints. We hope this indicates a new level of accountability within the commission.
“There was a new category of complaint this year which concerned the commissioner and his engagement with the defence agencies.” – [source not specified]
Increase in Complaints
As complaints have begun to soar, it has led Furness to speak out about troubling patterns in the complaints filed against the NACC.
“The themes remained consistent across both reporting years, that is complaints that the commission did not investigate a particular referral and challenges in contacting the NACC and concerns about the time taken by the NACC to respond to referrals,” – Gail Furness
This surge likely demonstrates significant public discontent with the commission’s lack of effectiveness. Furness pulled out one of the top complaints for handling a conflict of interest inappropriately in a defense case. This raises some highly uncomfortable questions about Brereton’s leadership in command.
Brereton’s Response
Brereton has chosen to withdraw from all defense-corruption referrals. This decision is even more notable given the context of allegations and ongoing inquiries around secretly funneling money to him. This decision comes after mounting scrutiny about his handling of such cases and conflicts of interests.
Brereton and other senior Labor figures had long asserted they severed ties with Defence. The deal that ultimately emerged, as laid out in the inspector’s report, is a stunning reversal of those previous claims. Like he did during officer misconduct at last year’s Robodebt inquiry. This is an incredibly important revelation, to be sure.
