Nacc chief rejects calls to quit over robodebt decisions, vowing to ‘put things right’

Paul Brereton says ‘blame culture’ deters people from owning mistakes as he insists watchdog will not be influenced by public pressure

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The National Anti-Corruption Commission chief has rejected calls to quit over his handling of referrals from the robodebt royal commission, suggesting he was being made a scapegoat and insisting neither he nor his agency will be influenced by public pressure.

Paul Brereton told a governance forum on Friday that he accepted the independent Nacc inspector’s finding that he had failed to adequately manage a declared conflict of interest in relation to a past professional association with one of the six people referred to the Nacc for possible corruption investigation.

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