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What is a Public Interest Disclosure?

A Public Interest Disclosure (PID) is when you report serious problems in a government agency, like misuse of money or illegal conduct.

Who can make a disclosure?

Anyone can make a PID if they think a government organisation or worker has done something seriously wrong.

What can be disclosed?

You can make a PID about serious problems such as:

  • Serious misuse of government money or property
  • Breaking the law
  • Poor management that wastes public money
  • Behaviour that puts people’s health or safety at risk
  • Environmental harm
  • Problems in how a government organisation makes decisions that affect you

You must have good reasons to believe there has been wrong action. If you make a false or misleading disclosure, there can be serious penalties.

“Public interest information” that you can report in a PID is one of the following:

  • improper conduct
  • an offence under State law
  • substantial unauthorised or irregular use of public resources
  • substantial mismanagement of public resources
  • substantial and specific risk of injury to public health, prejudice to public safety or harm to the environment
  • conduct relating to matters of State or local government administration affecting you

You must have good reasons to believe there has been wrong action. If you make a false or misleading disclosure, there can be serious penalties.

 

Your choice: make a complaint or a Public Interest Disclosure?

If you make a PID, you have rights:

  • You cannot be sued for making the report.
  • You cannot be fired or treated unfairly at work.
  • You are protected from pressure or threats.
  • If nothing is done, you can speak to a journalist.

You also have responsibilities. You must follow the correct process.

If you make a PID to us, our process and powers are the same as handling a complaint. This means you can’t get a different outcome from us by making a PID instead of a regular complaint.

Speak to our PID Officer about whether a PID or a complaint is the best process for you.

How to make a disclosure

  1. You can make a PID to a PID Officer at the agency.
  2. You may also make a PID to us. Our PID Officer will look at it.
    • Email: pid@ombudsman.wa.gov.au
    • Telephone: (08) 9220 7555
    • Address: Public Interest Disclosure Officer, Ombudsman WA, PO Box Z5386, St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6831
  3. You may remain anonymous, but that might make it difficult to investigate and provide you with an outcome.

What happens next

  • We check your PID and decide if we should investigate.
  • You will be informed about whether your disclosure is a PID or not
  • If we investigate a problem that affects you, we will keep you informed.