False Claims Legislation

This legislation emanates from the American Civil War. A situation was born where corruption was so significant that the government’s False Claims Act included a qui tam provision which entitled whistleblowers (then termed ‘relators’) with a percentage of the savings that their disclosures of suspected wrongdoing (false claims) brought to the Treasury.

Qui tam provisions in fact go back to the 1300s in English history.

The concept has been considered by the Federal bureaucracy in Australia.

Whistleblower Dr Kim Sawyer, former associate professor in economics and finance at the University of Melbourne and a Victorian member of the Whistleblowers Information Network, is the expert on this initiative and what may be happening with this type of legislation in Australia.

QWAG recommends the writings and submissions by Dr Sawyer to those interested in this reform.

QWAG recommends that this legislative initiative be taken as part of any Whistleblower Protection Body or NIC initiative.

QWAG supports this concept in the national and public interest.