The findings, revealed in the Australian Public Service Commission's annual census data, highlighted cronyism, nepotism, conflicts of interest, theft and fraud as areas of concern.

They also indicated only a third of suspected incidents were reported and, worryingly, almost 2000 public servants did not know how to act on malfeasance and corruption.

It is more than a quarter of a century since then NSW premier Nick Greiner inaugurated Australia's first Independent Commission Against Corruption in that state in 1989.

All other states and territories, with the notable exception of the ACT, have followed suit or, in the case of the Northern Territory, are in the process of doing so.

Despite the well-publicised successes of independent corruption watchdogs with coercive powers across the nation, the federal Parliament has never seriously considered, let alone come close to enacting, legislation to establish an ICAC equivalent.

The reason? Neither the Coalition nor the Labor Party appears prepared to create an organisation that would demand answers to many questions some politicians would prefer were never asked.

This shortsighted, and self-serving position, ignores the principal benefit of such bodies. That is their ability to actually deter corrupt behaviour by providing an ongoing and object lesson in the consequences of stepping over the line.

Nobody in public life in NSW has any doubts about what to do if they suspect corruption or impropriety. The short answer to that particular "who you gunna call?" is ICAC.

Matters are far from that simple at the federal level, with no less than nine separate entities, ranging from the Australian Taxation Office to the Australian Crime Commission, responsible for detecting and investigating corrupt activity.

The events of the past decade make a compelling case for the establishment of a catch-all federal body that would act as an inquisitor and a deterrent.

These include the Oil-For-Food program, alleged rorting of the home insulation scheme, bribery charges against Reserve Bank of Australia subsidiaries, the Leighton Holdings allegations, corruption allegations against the Australian Wheat Board Limited, Securency and Note Printing Australia, the Panama Papers and recurrent scandals over parliamentarian's entitlements, claims, donations and the like.

A Federal Integrity Commission would eliminate the need for one-off, and expensive, commissions, inquiries and probes and give concerned citizens a "one-stop-shop" to go to when they suspect there may be something rotten in the state of Australia.

In 2012 Australia was ranked as the seventh least corrupt country in the world on Transparency International's perceptions index. We have now slipped to 13th place.

Just how bad do things have to get before Australia finally has the National Integrity Commission we need and deserve?