Politicians exclude themselves from dob-in laws Greens leader Christine Milne has said politicians and staff should be held to account like the rest of the public service. POLITICIANS have excluded themselves from new federal whistleblower laws expected to be passed this month in a move opponents believe will cover up scandal and corruption. A parliamentary committee has urged MPs to pass a government Bill that allows public officials to dob in illegal activity, safety fears and other wrongdoing within government, but excludes politicians and their staff from the laws. The government Bill is preferred over another proposed by independent MP Andrew Wilkie that allows MPs and their staff to report wrongdoing by each other, despite the committee being told the omission was "a real issue to public trust." Greens leader Christine Milne said politicians and staff should be held to account like the rest of the public service. "Ministers and MPs are in charge of the purse strings and if their staff are privy to wrongdoing or corruption, they should be able to report it and be protected by the law for doing so," Senator Milne said. Public officials are classified as departmental public servants and staff at federal agencies such as the Federal Police and Defence Force. But parliamentarians and their staff are not classified as public officials. Mr Wilkie's Bill allows allegations to be made about politicians. He called the omission in the government Bill a "serious flaw," and "cynical move to prevent these public officials from making public interest disclosures ... entirely at odds with the spirit of whistleblower protection." But a spokeswoman for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said MPs and their staff had different roles from public servants and allegations should be dealt with by the Parliament. The parliamentary committee report notes criticisms of both Bills, but says the Government's is the best option for maintaining integrity in the Commonwealth public sector and should pass. Senator Milne said the recommendation was disappointing and shielding MPs and staff was "dangerous for democracy." "Disasters like the Peter Slipper and James Ashby scandal could be avoided if there are established avenues to report wrongdoing," she said. One only needs to look at (former NSW minister) Eddie Obeid in ICAC to confirm the need for closer scrutiny of MPs. Federal Labor promised stronger laws for whistleblowers in 2007. In 2004, Herald Sun reporters Michael Harvey and Gerard McManus published a story from a leaked Government report that proposed rejecting a $500 million rise in war veterans' entitlements. They refused to identify the whistleblower and were fined $7000 each.