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Conflicts of interests are considered to be a major risk across all sectors of government. A conflict of interest occurs when the private interests of a public service employee interfere, or appear to interfere, with their official duties. While the conflict itself does not amount to misconduct, it can be easy for employees to place their own interests before the interests of the public; it is this decision to do so which is inappropriate and may amount to misconduct. Where a conflict exists, it should be dealt with in a transparent and accountable way. To manage the issue it is vital that public sector organisations have a comprehensive conflicts of interest policy and staff who are fully aware of their obligations to disclose any conflicts of interest. A clear conflict of interest policy which details specific reporting procedures is an effective tool to ensure conflicts of interests are handled appropriately, before they give rise to allegations of misconduct. Even the mere perception that a conflict of interest has influenced an outcome can undermine public confidence in an organisation. Materials produced by the CMC regarding conflicts of interest can be found under the ‘CMC Best Practice’ link on this page. Numerous other materials with information on best practice for conflicts of interest can be found through the remaining links on this page. For further advice on conflicts of interest contact one of the CMC’s Prevention Advisers on 07 3360 6231 (Toll free outside of Brisbane: 1800 061 611).
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