“I was constantly warned not to disclose any of my concerns to SIRA despite having evidence of theft, fraud, corruption, conflicts, and other activities.”
Referring to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority, those were the words of former Insurance and Care NSW (icare) senior compliance officer Chris McCann, who was featured in the August 24 episode of 7.30 on ABC. He was speaking as part of the joint probe by The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), and the TV programme.
According to McCann – whose years of previous work as a homicide detective saw him maintain extensive documentation during his 2016-2018 stint at icare – he kept notes of various compliance breaches at the workers’ compensation insurer and tried many times to raise the issues, supposedly to no avail.
An SMH report quoted the gagged whistleblower as stating: “The more I dug, the more the company and the senior people dug their heels in and didn’t like what I was asking.”
It was also noted that McCann had been the subject of homophobic harassment at icare, which the publication said declined to comment on how he was treated in the workplace. McCann signed a non-disclosure agreement when he left.
On breaking his silence now, the ex-compliance officer said he thought “it’s time to tell the truth and join the dots,” as icare finds itself in the middle of inquiries over its performance and governance.
On Monday, the insurer released a fact sheet on key issues raised of late. It will also be undertaking a review of existing structures and policies, setting up a corporate governance board committee in an effort to ensure that the highest standards are met within icare.
