It’s the biggest reform to federal public accountability for over 40 years, though questions remain over whether it’s been designed sufficiently to weather future political storms.
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While Labor is close to delivering an historic integrity reform, there are wrinkles still to be ironed out.
With one exception, it offers refreshing guidance to jurisdictions across Australia showing signs of complacency about integrity.
David Pocock, the progressive independent who broke the Liberals’ stranglehold on one of the two ACT Senate seats, wouldn’t have expected to find himself allied with Pauline Hanson before even being sworn in
Labor has proposed a robust commission with strong powers, coupled with checks and balances to ensure it does not abuse its powers.
One of the Morrison government’s biggest challenges in this election campaign is the rise of the so-called ‘teals’.
Our experts rated the Coalition’s model as either very unsatisfactory or a fail. Most agreed Labor’s proposed model is much better, but said a lot more detail is needed.
The Morrison government has walked back on its pledge to establish a federal anti-corruption commission, while its term in government was peppered with allegations of corrupt behaviour.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Former judge Stephen Charles slams government’s integrity commission model.
Michelle Grattan speaks with Former Victorian judge Stephen Charles as he attacks the weakness of the Morrison Governments model for an integrity commission
The New South Wales ICAC’s remit has changed over the years to investigate more minor breaches by public officials. This can caused confusion and will undermine its effectiveness.
Australia is a step closer to finally having a federal anti-corruption agency. Attorney-General Christian Porter has released draft legislation designed to set up a Commonwealth Integrity Commission.
A strong ICAC – unlike the body the federal government is proposing – would have had the power to properly and impartially investigate the “sports rorts” affair.
The proposed integrity commission is an improvement on the patchwork of mechanisms in place now, but does not go nearly far enough to prevent and investigate corruption.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten slammed the proposed body was “not a
fair dinkum anti-corruption commission”. It would be limited in scope
and power and had no transparency.
The government now finds itself in the rather bizarre situation of having voted for a “national anti-corruption commission” without committing itself to one.
The federal Coalition’s primary vote fell for the third consecutive time, to 34%, in a poll that if replicated at an election would cost 21 seats.
Michelle Grattan speaks with Deep Saini about the week in Australian politics.
The Labor alternative almost doubles the budget’s relief for these taxpayers, incorporating the early part of the government’s plan and then building on it.
Come election time, votes won’t turn on an integrity commission. They will turn on such issues as cost of living, discontent with flat wages, and health.
Bill Shorten said a proposed National Integrity Commission would operate ‘as a standing royal commission into serious and systematic corruption’.
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University
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