Nearly all of us will have heard that Labor's National Anti Corruption Commission Bill has made it through the House of Representatives and will be debated in the Senate next year.
This is wonderful news! And we must thank the Labor Government for keeping its promise of Legislating for a decent Federal ICAC!
So there appears to be no need for this petition any more - so it makes sense to close it.
While there are some concerns over what qualifies as being suitable for Public Hearings - most integrity experts have given Labor's NACC their approval.
However, there is STILL work to do!
Which is why I have started a new Petition about an enforceable ETHICAL Code for our Federal Politicians!
When I have heard Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KCMP speaking he has seems to have concentrated his focus on CRIMINAL and systemic corruption and seems somewhat vague on the 'grey' areas like Pork Barrelling and the VERY grey area of Conflict of Interest of some of our Politicians.
As part of Helen Haines' Federal Integrity Commission Legislation there was a Federal Parliamentary Code of Conduct and STRONG Whistle Blower Protections.
These are NOT in Labor's Bill.
This is however, NOT an oversight.
An ETHICAL Code for Politicians (and the behaviour of their PARTIES) I believe - MUST be a part of the changes to the 'job description' of our Politicians!
At the moment the loop-holes are quite large. If you look at our Federal Politicians' Register of Interest Forms - they concentrate on the Politicians themselves and their partners/Spouses and Children - there is NO DEFINITIVE question about the members of a Politicians' FAMILY (Senator Matthew Canavan's brother John immediately springs to mind) - like parents or siblings that can often influence a politicians decisions.
https://www.afr.com/rear-window/matt-canavan-s-family-obsession-with-coal-20190822-p52jm0
Or close friends OR current or past Business associates (the current controversy over Stuart Robert's emails)
There is also no direct QUESTION on the Register of Interest Forms asking about any employment/consulting Politicians do OUTSIDE of their main job - which is MEANT to be representing the Australian PEOPLE'S best interests!
Outside employment - even if you are only a part-time worker - is something the lowest-paid Public Sector WORKER has to ASK to do!
Yet it appears some of our Politicians take it as THEIR right to do so - such as Senator Canavan's current gig with Sky News.
Not something that's an unknown in Federal Politics - most won't remember MP Bruce Bilson's gig with the Franchise Council of Australia while still an MP
He also failed to disclose he had been appointed a director of the group.
This obvious Conflict of Interest DIDN'T stop him from Lobbying the LNP Govt only a few months after retiring from Parliament!
So much for our Politicians' Ministerial Standards!
“The Ministerial Standards are merely administrative – former ministers who move straight into a lobbying position are breaking the rules, not the law. There is currently no punishment for breaking the rules except loss of ministerial duties, which is of little consequence to a former minister.”
We also have to try to push for Whistle Blower protections if our new NACC is to be able to DO its job!
So there's still much to do before we get the kind of Standards for our elected Representatives that Politicians LOVE to impose on Australia's Public Sector workers
"Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching- even when doing the wrong thing is legal." ~ Aldo Leopold
Unfortunately if you view the article below - ETHICAL behavour in Politics is NOT something BOTH Major parties are interested in - therefore it has to come from the ground up!
'We the People'!