An attempt to use the courts to prevent the release of an integrity report into contracts awarded by the Canberra Institute of Technology rings "huge alarm bells" over transparency and accountability, the Opposition Leader has said.
The ACT Integrity Commission was due to hand over its report on Wednesday into its investigation into the more than $8.5 million worth of contracts to a "complexity and systems thinker" but a person named in the report has sought an injunction.
The ACT government is not paying the legal fees for the person seeking the injunction, a spokesperson has confirmed.
"The territory has no role in the proceeds and is not meeting or contributing to the costs of the plaintiff in those proceedings," the spokesperson said.
The government was made aware of the legal action on Tuesday. The court has suppressed the name of the person who sought the injunction and the matter is due to be heard on Friday.
If the court does not grant the injunction the Integrity Commission will be able to give the report to Legislative Assembly Speaker Joy Burch and release the report publicly.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said the court action raised questions about transparency.
"At the 11th hour when the integrity commissioner has confirmed that the investigation has been completed ... we see him slapped with a court proceeding seeking to prevent the report becoming public," she said.
"This raises huge alarm bells in relation to transparency, accountability and what can be deemed to be interfering with the Integrity Commission's investigation into a very, very serious matter."
Ms Lee pointed to the fact this was the second investigation where the commission had faced a legal challenge. The head of the ACT Education Directorate launched a legal bid last year to shut down a corruption investigation examining her and other directorate officials.
Director-general Katy Haire is suing the ACT Integrity Commission and integrity commissioner Michael Adams KC, alleging there is an apprehended bias in the investigation into the procurement for an expansion of Campbell Primary School.
Ms Lee said the opposition would consider legislative changes to ensure the commission was not prevented from doing its role if elected in October.
"We will look at and consider any changes that might need to be made to ensure there are no undue and unnecessary blockade in place that is stopping the integrity commissioner from undertaking the very important work he is doing so we will consider those options," she said.
Skills Minister Chris Steel, who is responsible for CIT, said he could not comment on the legal action but said he would like to see a resolution on the matter.
"I think we all want to see a resolution of this matter and my view, in particular, is I want to see the institution continue to focus on delivering high quality training and meet the needs of the students... whilst also supporting the needs of staff," he told the ABC.
"We absolutely want to see a resolution in this matter and the Integrity Commission I'm sure will want to put out that report."
More than $8.5 million was awarded to companies owned by Patrick Hollingworth over a five-year period to help with organisation transformation. These include Think Garden and Redrouge Nominees.
The Integrity Commission has been investigating the matter for two years.
The former CIT chief executive Leanne Cover was on paid leave for nearly two years until she resigned from her $383,000--a-year position on Tuesday.
Ms Lee has been critical of the fact two CEOs were being paid over that time. She said she did not accept this and the opposition would look into this if it won the ACT election.
"There is natural justice on the one hand and procedural fairness and then there's just taking the mickey and a blatant disregard for ACT taxpayer funds on the other," she said.
