The ICAC is achieving one thing Roxy
Irrespective of criminal charges by exposing the rorts the ICAC is effectively stopping them and ensuring they don't happen again. Surely that is enough to warrant its function.

I'm not suggesting that we don't have investigative
measures into criminal activity - I'm merely
questioning Royal Commissions. What's wrong with
the Australian Crime Commission that already exists?

The Canetoad set up a body to investigate /expose high level corruption?
It is to laugh!
At best we'd get another 'report" telling us "don't you worry about dat", it's not happening, it's all labors fault, I was at me Mums, aaaarh, the dog ate it, honest!
Morals/Ethics died long ago in the halls of power, the Two Party system saw to that, so, sorry boys n girls, it ain't gunna happen, not in this lifetime.

That is so true S of I. If no one goes to jail, still the ICAC has served a purpose and achieved a result by outing those who are corrupt, forcing honest politicians to act. It also acts as a deterrent to others who have corrupt intentions. We have a State election in NSW in 2015, this time around I confident thanks to the ICAC voters will be casting a vote for far more honest candidates than they otherwise would have, thanks to the ICAC.
There is a sting in the tail the DPP can act, and it can bring charges against people like Eddie Obeid, and others.

p/s Welcome to the forum. and enjoy your stay.
If you are not already aware I am a fully paid up member of The Greens. I make no secret of that, and that is where my political affiliations lie.

Foxy, can I have you opinion about this material The NSW ICAC has uncovered about Peta Credlin and how it should be handled, and the latest Slipper material and how it should be handled. If there was a Federal ICAC where by, once it had become a Federal matter it could take over the investigation from the state, would that not be a good thing. Abbott is naturally going to resist any attempt to investigate these type of matters, particularly as they concern himself and his own party. I'm sure if it involved The Labor Party, or affiliates there would be a Royal Commission set up before you could say Bob Menzies.
Royal Commissions are too narrow, too specific and often lack independence. Politicians set the terms of reference, set time limits, and hand pick the Commissioner. Sometimes these things do not involve criminality to the letter of the law, and a Crime Commission is only concerned with the law. Take O'Farrell, he did not actually commit a crime but he had to go for lying.

Of course we need a national ICAC. But just as for the NSW ICAC, it would need to look more deeply into the donations regime and the overall influence of big business on government.

It is not sufficient just to look at the criminal end of the spectrum. We need to get rid of ALL bias exerted on government by donations and other favours and pressures from those who have big money and influence.

ICAC in NSW will clean up the whole caboodle, but only to a point. The donations regime will still exist. The favour-buying regime will exist. The big business vested-interest paradigm will remain. Government will still be strongly biased towards the wishes of the big end of town.

We need a national ICAC which would view ALL pressures exerted by big business upon government that render it non-neutral in its decision-making abilities to be criminal or unacceptable activities.