Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission
IPSC
14 April 2025 – present
Independent body that investigates complaints about parliamentarians, their staff and others in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces under the parliamentary behaviour codes and can recommend or impose sanctions.
How it came into existence
Established within the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service by the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Amendment (Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission) Act 2024, implementing a recommendation of the Set the Standard review; its first Commissioners took office on 14 April 2025, and a seven-member Commission chaired by Rachel Hunter was appointed from 14 October 2025. It was a new body with no predecessor.
Legislation: Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023 (as amended by the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Amendment (Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission) Act 2024)
Main functions
- Investigation of complaints under the parliamentary behaviour codes
- Determination of breaches by parliamentary staff and recommendations on parliamentarians
- Recommending or imposing sanctions
- Reporting on the outcome of investigations
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Department of Finance.
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 29 May 2025 to the latest release (30 June 2026))
Government records and websites
- Appointments to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (Special Minister of State, 7 October 2025)
- Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (Australian Government Directory)
- Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Amendment (Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission) Bill 2024, Bills Digest No. 11, 2024–25
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.