Senior ACT public servants will be forced to turn whistle-blower or face a whopping fine under the territory's new integrity commission being passed today.

On Tuesday the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) revealed 78 federal public servants were investigated for corruption last financial year, with 72 found to have breached the code of conduct.

Now, the ACT is about to get its own anti-corruption body and it puts public servants in the frame.

The Legislative Assembly will debate (and almost certainly pass) laws to form the ACT Integrity Commission today.

Does the ACT need an anti-corruption commission?

According to every party in the ACT Legislative Assembly, yes — but their reasons differ.

The current Government, Labor, trumpets this commission as part of a bigger package of political transparency after 17 years in power.

The ACT Greens' view falls along similar lines, arguing checks and balances are necessary for healthy government.

But the Canberra Liberals point to what they perceive as actual issues, like the controversial Dickson Land Swap deal, to demonstrate the need for stronger investigation.

Will it be similar to those in other parts of Australia?

Mostly.

SES-level staff and above could face a $7,500 for failing to report malfeasance. ( Unsplash: rawpixel )

But unlike other commissions around the country, senior public servants (SES-level and above) will be subject to mandatory reporting requirements.

That means if they see potentially serious corruption and don't report it, they could be fined up to $7,500.

The chiefs of staff of ministers (and the Opposition Leader) will also be required to report conduct of any MLA or staffer, including their bosses.

And even the elected politicians themselves will be required to dob each other in if they see potentially nefarious conduct.

What exactly is it for?

The ACTIC (if that's what we decide to call it) will be tasked with investigating corruption, referring potential criminal conduct to police and seeking to reduce corruption in the public service.

But it's not just traditional public servants who will be scrutinised — the Commissioner can also look into politicians, judges, magistrates and even contractors connected to government work.

At first, the Commission won't be able to investigate ACT police, because the territory is currently forbidden from making laws about them (ACT Policing is part of the Australian Federal Police, so it's technically a Commonwealth body).

The Assembly has built in a 12-month window to get that federal law changed, and police should come under the scheme by mid-2020.

What secret spy powers will it have?

The Integrity Commission will be granted serious powers only matched by the courts and police — think covert operations and wiretapping.

The Commission will have the ability to search and seize property, compel people to hand over documents and even go undercover in the course of an investigation.

They can act in secrecy — or in public — and force witnesses to give evidence.

With all that power, the Assembly is committing to strong oversight, with the appointment of an Inspector to watch over the Commissioner (ICACs elsewhere in the country have come under scrutiny themselves before).

When will it take effect?

Assembly members will spend much of today debating over the final detail of the nearly-300 page bill, but it's virtually guaranteed to be law by tonight.

The Commission is expected to be operational by mid-next year, but funding will be allocated to start recruitment from the beginning of 2019.

And, while the Government has tabled an amendment to include ACT police in the Commission's brief, that won't take effect until July 2020.

Given the powers and purview of the Commission, we could start hearing a lot more about the ACT public service in the months and years ahead.