A key ingredient in repairing trust in our democracy is the establishment of a strong Federal ICAC.
Trust is the glue which keeps society together, the glue that builds alliances and partnerships, and yet it has fallen to an all-time low in Australia. The Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index reports trust in politicians is at 10 percent – State and Federal alike. This is hardly surprising.
Recent years have provided a surplus of examples of questionable conduct by decision makers and government. In his address to the National Press Club, Geoffrey Watson SC detailed what he described as a “short list” of corruption allegations from the last six years, amounting to nearly $6.8billion of taxpayer money that may have been misused for personal or political gain.
People sometimes dismiss pork barrelling as “just the way politics is done”. The minute you condone spending of public money for anything other than the public good, with projects and spending no longer assessed on a basis of merit and need, you’re on the slippery slope of corruption.
We need to act now to restore trust in our democracy, our parliament and in the public service. A key ingredient in repairing that trust is the establishment of a strong Federal ICAC, a body which is independent, independently funded and most importantly a true ICAC – one with teeth!
The Morrison Government’s proposed Federal Anti Corruption Commission will protect politicians, holding them to a lower standard, their conduct shielded from scrutiny. Not good enough. We must expect more from our politicians.
A Federal Integrity and Anti Corruption Commission must have broad scope to investigate both criminal and non-criminal misconduct, especially the misuse of public funds and abuse of public trust.
A Federal ICAC must have the powers to hold public hearings when this is necessary and an effective means of investigation. It is in the public interest to do so.
A Federal ICAC must be accessible, allowing members of the public and whistle-blowers to raise matters for consideration without fear of prosecution or reprisal. In case there was any doubt about the need for this, the inquiry into the Obeids began as a result of an anonymous tip off from a public pay phone.
One of the key arguments against a Federal ICAC that Coalition MPs often raise is the exposure and risk to reputation of public hearings. Such hearings are no different to royal commission hearings. They are not a court, simply an investigative process.
I certainly did not hear the chorus of complaint about impact to public reputation during the banking royal commission, although the Coalition did everything possible to prevent that taking place. The Prime Minister was certainly not worried about inflicting reputational damage on the NSW ICAC in his recent public comments.
Questioning its integrity and purpose was outrageous and wrong. It was no surprise he chose to take this action in the chamber during question time though, the ‘coward’s palace’, where parliamentary privilege allows politicians protection, yet another advantage the everyday citizen isn’t granted.
Regardless of the Prime Minister’s position, Australians have made their position clear, as have countless locals I’ve spoken with all over the Warringah electorate. An overwhelming 81 percent of Australians want a Federal ICAC. They want it now. They wanted it three years ago, when Scott Morrison made his election promise. If trust is indeed the glue that keeps democracy intact, a Government that continues to rail against an ICAC simply won’t stick.