Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick has called on the federal government to step in and stop the prosecution of former public servant Richard Boyle who is facing 161 years in prison after blowing the whistle on poor culture at the Australian Taxation Office.

Senator Patrick wrote to Attorney-General Christian Porter on Thursday saying if the case proceeded it would make a mockery of the government’s advances in whistleblower policy, discourage whistleblowers across the public sector and undermine public confidence.

Senator Rex Patrick has called on the Attorney-General to intervene and stop the prosecution of a tax whistleblower. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

“It is your clear duty to intervene and bring this prosecution to an end,” Senator Patrick says in a two-page letter.

Mr Boyle has been charged with 66 offences that could see him serve six life sentences if found guilty, potentially topping the punishment handed out to serial killers such as Ivan Milat.