Stop the prosecution of ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle
Stop the prosecution of ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle
Why this petition matters
Richard Boyle is a former ATO staff member who is currently facing life in prison for blowing the whistle on the ATO for its use of heavy handed tactics and revenue targets as motivation in its collection of debts.
Before going public with this information he disclosed his concerns under the Public Interest Disclosure Act to the ATO where they were investigated and dismissed. He subsequently went public with this information which resulted in a investigation by Four Corners for ABC titled "Mongrel bunch of bastards".
The issues he raised have since been reviewed by Treasury and the Inspector General of Taxation and resulted in changes to laws yet he is now on trial, having been charged with 66 offenses, though his actions were clearly performed for the public good.
We call on Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to intervene in this matter and end the prosecution of Richard Boyle. Prosecuting this individual will greatly discourage any other potential whistle-blowers from coming forward and further erode public faith in our institutions.
https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/mongrel-bunch-of-bastards/9635026
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-06/ato-whistleblower-faces-161-years-prison-possibility/10872350
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/10/coalition-orders-investigation-into-alleged-unethical-behaviour-at-tax-office
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-04/afp-raids-four-corners-whistleblower/9617698
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/blowing-the-whistle-on-the-tax-office-s-cash-grab-20180404-p4z7rj.html
https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/ato-whistleblower-faces-six-life-sentences-roughly-the-same-as-ivan-milat-20190226-p510d2.html