Family Violence Offender & NBN Director Must Return $1 Million in Public Funds
Family Violence Offender & NBN Director Must Return $1 Million in Public Funds
The issue
THE FACTS
Michael Malone was appointed to the board of NBN Co in April 2016.
NBN Co is a Commonwealth-owned enterprise. Its board members are paid with your money.
In July 2016 — just months after his appointment — Mr Malone committed domestic violence offences. Final orders were made under an ADVO (Apprehended Domestic Violence Order) in January 2017.
In October 2018, he was further charged and fined for being intoxicated in a public place and obstructing police.
Mr Malone sat on the NBN Co board for nine years.
In that time, he has been paid close to $1 million in public money.
THE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THIS
How does someone with a domestic violence record end up on a government board for nearly a decade?
The answer is devastatingly simple: nobody asked.
Government board appointment processes in Australia do not require directors to disclose offences relating to family violence, sexual assault or sexual harassment. I have reviewed Mr Malone's NBN Co disclosure forms. The question is simply not there.
This is not a gap. It is a choice.
There are approximately 1,200 government boards in Australia. Across all of them, a person can have a history of violence against women and children — and be handed a taxpayer-funded position of authority — without ever being required to say so.
This needs to change.
WHAT WE ARE CALLING FOR
❤️ The immediate return of close to $1 million in public money paid to Mr Malone during his nine-year tenure on the NBN Co board.
❤️ Urgent reform of government board appointment processes to require mandatory disclosure of offences relating to family violence, sexual assault and sexual harassment.
❤️ That reform to begin now — starting with NBN Co — and extend across all 1,200 government boards in Australia.
This is not complicated. It is one character question on a form. A question that says: this country will not reward those who harm women and children with positions of public trust.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Paying someone who committed family violence offences nearly one million dollars in public money — while survivors struggle to access legal aid, housing, and support — is not a bureaucratic oversight.
It is a statement of values.
We are here to change those values.
Sign this petition to support our efforts.
171
The issue
THE FACTS
Michael Malone was appointed to the board of NBN Co in April 2016.
NBN Co is a Commonwealth-owned enterprise. Its board members are paid with your money.
In July 2016 — just months after his appointment — Mr Malone committed domestic violence offences. Final orders were made under an ADVO (Apprehended Domestic Violence Order) in January 2017.
In October 2018, he was further charged and fined for being intoxicated in a public place and obstructing police.
Mr Malone sat on the NBN Co board for nine years.
In that time, he has been paid close to $1 million in public money.
THE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THIS
How does someone with a domestic violence record end up on a government board for nearly a decade?
The answer is devastatingly simple: nobody asked.
Government board appointment processes in Australia do not require directors to disclose offences relating to family violence, sexual assault or sexual harassment. I have reviewed Mr Malone's NBN Co disclosure forms. The question is simply not there.
This is not a gap. It is a choice.
There are approximately 1,200 government boards in Australia. Across all of them, a person can have a history of violence against women and children — and be handed a taxpayer-funded position of authority — without ever being required to say so.
This needs to change.
WHAT WE ARE CALLING FOR
❤️ The immediate return of close to $1 million in public money paid to Mr Malone during his nine-year tenure on the NBN Co board.
❤️ Urgent reform of government board appointment processes to require mandatory disclosure of offences relating to family violence, sexual assault and sexual harassment.
❤️ That reform to begin now — starting with NBN Co — and extend across all 1,200 government boards in Australia.
This is not complicated. It is one character question on a form. A question that says: this country will not reward those who harm women and children with positions of public trust.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Paying someone who committed family violence offences nearly one million dollars in public money — while survivors struggle to access legal aid, housing, and support — is not a bureaucratic oversight.
It is a statement of values.
We are here to change those values.
Sign this petition to support our efforts.
171
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 25 March 2026