Thank you Australian Integrity Crusaders - pls keep reminding family & friends on Social Media AND by SMS as we will need MANY thousands of Crusaders to shame THIS Government into accepting a CREDIBLE Integrity Commission!
Christian Porter announced at the National Press Club address this week that he was 'designing' the Government's OWN version of a National Integrity Commission.
After ensuring the Government KEEPS the Senate's National Integrity Commission Bill - that HAS both 'teeth' AND retrospectivity - OFF the House of Representative's Agenda AG Porter is now trying to force upon Australians an Integrity Commission that has NEITHER of these virtues!
Even one of their OWN - Queensland MP Llew O'Brien - has reservations about the Attorney-General's Bill which he outlined to the Guardian newspaper..
“We need confidence in our government. And we need the perception to be – as well as the reality – that we are doing the right thing. Now, not holding politicians to the highest possible standard when someone else is held to a higher ethical standard is wrong. It’s just fundamentally wrong.”
“The people of Wide Bay and the people of Australia clearly see the need for [a more transparent model],” he said.
“I don’t think that the multi-agency approach that we currently have is appropriate.
“I think we need a specialised body or agency as we will have – but most importantly that specialised body needs to have teeth and real teeth.”
THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS PROPOSING!
The Guardian: "The attorney general used his national press club address on Wednesday to reaffirm the government’s commitment to a two-tier model, split between law enforcement and the public sector, but with no public hearings or findings against parliamentarians, their staff or public sector employees."
So NO PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY for Politicians, Political Parties OR THEIR staffers? Are we surprised?
AND NO Code of ETHICS OR INTEGRITY either?
While I applaud MP O'Brien's sentiments - I wonder WHY he just DOESN'T PUSH for the SENATE'S Integrity Bill to be debated & voted on ASAP?
Especially when we know the Government's proposal will merely be a 'Clayton's' version?
(Younger people - you will just have to Google it!)