The Greens have slammed the government for its thousand day failure to introduce a federal corruption watchdog, saying that the four-digit delay demonstrated that it couldn’t care less about taking action on corruption.

The Greens have a bill to establish a federal ICAC that has passed the Senate, and could be brought on for debate in the Lower House immediately, if the Government stopped blocking its passage. 

The Greens say Australia can have a robust and effective federal anti-corruption framework in place within weeks if the government brings the Greens’ bill on for debate in the House.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:

“How can we be sure there’s an election coming? Both the Libs and Labor are talking about a federal anti-corruption body again!

Wednesday, 17 March 2021

An invite-only drinks at Parliament House with Elbit Systems - Israel's largest privately-owned weapons company - has been facilitated by former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, highlighting the urgent need for reforms in Australian politics to stop the revolving door of politicians becoming lobbyists.

Data shows more Australians are concerned about political corruption and doubt the Government’s ability to clean up our democracy, Greens Leader in the Senate, Senator Larissa Waters said.
 
Today’s report from Griffith University and Transparency International Australia found the number of Australians who view corruption as a “very big” or “quite big” problem, rising from 61% in 2018 to 66% in 2020. The number of those who think the federal government is handling corruption issues “very badly” has also risen from 15% to 19.4% over the same period.
 

The Greens echo the Australian Federal Police Association’s description of the Morrison Government’s sham integrity commission as nothing more than a “protection racket” for government MPs.
 
Greens Leader in the Senate and Spokesperson on Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:
 
“The Morrison Government has designed its sham integrity commission to shield their mates from proper scrutiny. It wants one rule for its politicians, and another for everyone else.
 

Greens Senator Larissa Waters moved to bring on her Parliamentary Standards Bill this morning to address Parliament's appalling ineffectual complaints process for staff suffering workplace bullying and harassment.
 
The move follows the Morrison Government’s refusal to even acknowledge there is a problem, following Monday’s Four Corners investigation into sexual harassment within the Liberal Party.
 
Senator Waters, Greens Leader in the Senate and Spokesperson on Women, said:
 
"This is Parliament's Me Too moment.
 

Revelations that the Finance Department inquiry into Assistant Minister Michael Sukkar was outsourced to the law firm he used to work for is further proof Australia urgently needs a federal corruption watchdog, Greens say. 

Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said:

"This is just another outrageous example of why we need an independent federal corruption watchdog. Mates investigating mates won't stop corruption. 

The Coalition is using the Federal Budget to silence public accountability and transparency bodies that have called out this Government’s corruption, Greens Leader in the Senate and Spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters said.

“Once again, this corrupt Government is doing all it can to avoid public scrutiny, this time using the Budget to cut funding to our accountability and transparency bodies,” Senator Waters said.

The House of Representatives will today be forced to debate the implementation of a national integrity commission, after the Senate expressed frustration over further delays.

Following further allegations of corruption within the ALP, Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP and Greens Democracy Spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters have today urged the Australian parliament to pass a Greens bill - which has already passed the Senate - to create a federal integrity watchdog through the House of Representatives.

Responding to today's reported deferral of legislation to enable a federal integrity commission, the Greens will push to bring on for debate and vote legislation to establish a national anti-corruption watchdog when Parliament resumes in June.

A Greens integrity commission bill has already passed the Senate with support from Labor and the crossbench and could pass the House if as few as two backbench government MPs cross the floor, as they have threatened to do. The Bill passed in September of last year.