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Your complaint should include
- Details of the conduct issue
- Any evidence (if available) to support your complaint i.e. emails, text messages, file notes, names of any witnesses.
- Your contact details.
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Step 2
Eligibility Assessment
Your complaint will be assessed to determine whether it falls within the IPSC's jurisdiction under the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023.
Assessment outcomes
- Eligible: your complaint will be assigned to an investigating Commissioner.
- Not eligible: you will be notified in writing of the reason that the IPSC is unable to assess your complaint. When applicable, the IPSC will provide the most relevant referral pathway to raise concerns.
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Step 3
Investigating Commissioner Assigned
An investigating Commissioner will be assigned to assess your complaint.
Preliminary enquiries and decision.
The investigating Commissioner:
- May make preliminary enquiries, including speaking with people who may be involved or requesting additional information.
- Will decide whether to investigate the complaint, take no further action, or refer the complaint (with your consent) to another body.
- Will formally notify you of their decision in writing.
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Step 4
If a Decision to Investigate is Made
An investigating Commissioner:
- May investigate the conduct issue in such manner as the Commissioner thinks fit.
- Must complete the investigation as quickly as the requirements of this Act and a proper consideration of the conduct issue permits; and
- Observe the requirements of procedural fairness when conducting the investigation.
What to Expect During an Investigation.
An investigating Commissioner may:
- Issue anyone involved in the investigation with a Confidentiality Notice. This includes witnesses, the respondent and the complainant.
- Interview people who may be involved, including witnesses.
- Issue Notices to Give to obtain relevant information or evidence.
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Step 5
Preliminary and Final Reports
If the complaint is about a Members of Parliament Staff (MoPS) Act 1984 employee, the investigating Commissioner will prepare and finalise both the preliminary and final reports.
If the complaint is about a Parliamentarian, a Parliamentarian Decision Panel (PDP) will be established to prepare the preliminary and final reports. The PDP will include the investigating Commissioner and two other Commissioners.
Findings and Reports
- The investigating Commissioner or Parliamentarian Decision Panel (PDP) prepares a preliminary report.
- At a minimum, where a preliminary finding is critical of a person involved in the matter, the relevant findings or preliminary report will be provided to that person.
- That person is given an opportunity to respond to the findings.
- The investigating Commissioner or PDP considers any response before issuing a final report.
- The final report is issued to the complainant and the respondent.
- If the respondent is a MoPS Act employee, their employer will also receive a copy of the final report.
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Step 6
Opportunity to Seek a Review
Both the complainant and the respondent will have an opportunity to seek a review of the final decision.
Review Process
- Any application for a review must be made in writing, set out the reasons for the application, and be made within 28 days of receiving the final report.
- If the application for review is accepted, a review panel of three new Commissioners will be constituted to review the decision.
The Complaints Process
Explore the process
Commonwealth parliamentary workplace participants are eligible to submit a complaint to the IPSC. The IPSC cannot accept complaints directly from members of the public.
The IPSC complaint process is conducted in accordance with the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023.