What is integrity?
Answer
Being honest and acting according to principles
Explanation
Integrity in Australian usage is the quality of consistency between stated values and actual conduct, honesty in dealings with others, willingness to do what is right even when it is costly, and the absence of corruption or deception. It is valued across politics, business, public administration, the professions, sport, and personal life.
Several formal frameworks support integrity in public life. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), established in 2023, investigates corruption in federal public administration. State and territory anti-corruption bodies (ICAC in NSW, IBAC in Victoria, the Crime and Corruption Commission in Queensland, and equivalents) investigate state and local government corruption. Auditors-General at federal and state level review government spending. Standing Committee processes in Parliament scrutinise legislation and executive action.
Professional integrity is supported by codes of conduct across many occupations. Lawyers operate under the legal profession's Solicitors and Barristers Conduct Rules, enforced by state legal services commissioners. Doctors and other health practitioners are registered through Ahpra (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) and subject to professional codes. Accountants registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, financial advisors registered with ASIC, real estate agents licensed by state fair trading bodies, engineers registered through Engineers Australia, and teachers registered through state teacher registration boards all hold ongoing integrity obligations.
Integrity is also a personal value invoked in everyday Australian life. It is expected in employment (honesty about hours worked, expenses claimed, and performance), in commercial dealings (truthful description of goods and services, honest billing), in academic study (no plagiarism or exam cheating), in sport (no doping, no match-fixing), and in personal relationships (keeping promises, telling the truth). The Robodebt Royal Commission, the Banking Royal Commission, and the Disability Royal Commission have all documented major integrity failures and prompted reforms aimed at restoring trust in Australian institutions.
Why this matters for your test
Integrity is named as a central value in Australian public life, and recognising the NACC, the state anti-corruption bodies, and the professional codes helps new citizens understand how the country tries to keep its institutions honest.
Source: Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (2024)
