Grey Matter

This week, we attended a presentation by NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Commissioner the Hon Paul Lakatos SC, hosted by the Australian HR Institute (AHRI). The Commissioner discussed two recent ICAC investigations and their findings: Operation Landan (April 2026): Exposed widespread failures in recruitment, procurement and organisational oversight at School Infrastructure NSW, including favouritism, improper contractor engagements, undisclosed conflicts

This week, I attended the two-day Workplace Health & Safety Show in Sydney. As someone who works in investigations, particularly workplace misconduct, psychological injury and workers compensation matters, I was interested in hearing how the broader WHS industry is approaching workplace safety, psychosocial risks and the evolving expectations placed on employers. What struck me almost immediately was the diversity of professionals in the room. On one hand, there were traditio

It starts with people: how demographics, relationships, culture, naming conventions and online behaviour shape a targeted and proportionate desktop investigation.

One of the biggest misconceptions in factual investigations is that investigators should record everything an interviewee says. However, this is just not the case! A factual statement is not a transcript of an interview. Nor is it a place to record every opinion, rumour, assumption, or piece of speculation raised during a conversation. Its purpose is to record relevant factual evidence that assists a decision-maker to understand what occurred. Knowing what to leave out is jus