Crikey readers have had their fill on the government’s antics this week, calling on officials to: a) hurry up and create a working anti corruption body, and b) burst the Canberra bubble nonsense before voters take drastic action…
On the federal integrity commission:
Susan Keach-Maxwell writes: We need the hounds of the Baskerville to keep government accountable. Am I the only one disgusted by the continuing corrupt and unethical practices committed by our politicians and publicly funded organisations?
If we were to behave the way elected and appointed government officials do, with scant regard for moral resolve and honest determination, we’d most likely be behind bars.
And to add insult to injury we have to watch the bald-faced denials and porkies and listen to red herrings dragged across the media to cover up and vilify others to protect themselves, the party or organisation. When we elect people to represent us, we should expect, at least, transparency and accountability, and as a bonus honesty and fairness. We don’t get that on any level!
To ensure our federal institutions are held accountable, there should be independent oversight to ensure us, the shareholders, that our representatives behave ethically, and with integrity. Is it too much to ask our elected officials to be responsible for their commitments and obligations?
Australia needs a federal corruption watchdog which does not operate in the shadows but is totally transparent and independent.
In a democracy no one is above the law, and that includes the federal government.
On the Canberra bubble:
Julie Grint writes: Scott Morrison is a master at avoiding answering questions, changing the subject, obfuscation, manipulating the media and setting the daily 24-hour media cycle with press releases from the PMO.
The PMO has all MPs and senators on a tight leash. They are issued a daily run sheet so that they all sing from the same song sheet if they make media appearances. This becomes positively boring as they begin to sound like mindless drones.
Chris Harding writes: What happens in Canberra stays in Canberra … pfft. No way. Not on my taxpayer dollars. First and foremost, we need a federal ICAC. We need it now!
The bubble and its secrets are a threat to democracy and fuel the status quo towards the ever meaningless standards these MPs hide behind. How many times do we hear about “we must be of the highest integrity” but oh, big surprise, it never shows and is all just an act.
The hypocrisy stinks. The media covers it all up and paints it as real life private affairs none of us should stick our noses in.
As public servants on the public salary that’s a load of garbage because for years the facade has been fading. Thanks to organisations like Crikey and the Four Corners’ stellar investigation (really the only ICAC we have), the case is building for Canberra to open up and become more transparent.
The paint is wearing off and I can see the cracks. I think most people can.
The whistleblowers are absolutely right about MPs and their conduct being revealed as public interest and absolutely right about the need for reform.
I want to know if an MP farts in the chamber, in their office or down in the Canberra Public Bar and I want it on the record. At home with their families and in their communities, of course leave the poor people alone. But in public life inside the Canberra bubble it’s different. It needs to be on the record. If that’s too much to ask I think it’s time we replace these single, easily-lobbied MPs with avatars and we just use blockchain technology to vote directly on policy.
I want a system where accountability in government is there for all to see. I want open debate and healthy disagreement. I want public inclusion. All the bubble does is stifle everything that politics needs. It is time to turn the city into a Truman show or vote one direct democracy and transparency.
Times like this I seriously wonder if ‘sortition’ would be superior to what we have now. A randomly picked legislature looks pretty good over a new noble class just happening to occupy the state machinery by pure coincidence.
Classical Athens managed random selection for annual service, with banishment for bad behaviour in office.
Also, a moratorium on subsequent service, 2-7 over various periods.
I think, most if not all us voters out here want some form of oversight of the pollies.
Something with teeth and real power to deal with the situation. No way will the current pollies accept that.
So, WHAT CAN WE DO?
Perhaps if some organisation could collect enough money and letterbox every elector in a guilty representative’s electorate. That might be effective. But I suppose the liable laws would prevent it. Or changed to make sure of it.l
News Corp does not run a Pravda-esque TV station here – I thought Sky after dark is Pravde-esque enough.
ICAC legislation must have teeth, Porter’s only has bleeding gums, if the senate can’t change it wait for another government with courage to change it a large stench around LNP
Any word on the nature of “…another government with courage..”?
Ain’t seen many of them, certainly not this century, except perhaps in Yeats’ sense in “Second Coming” – “.. the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity“.
Just how long is it going to take for the public to wake up to the massive scale of this Liberal Government’s corruption?
Liberal donors get paid ten times the real value of a piece land, so the tax payers are twenty seven million out of pocket and its “don’t look at that, look over here at the Australia Post CEO, she should be sacked for spending twenty thousand on corporate gifts”. Excuse me?
We don’t need medieval re-enactments we’ve got federal parliament which seems to be somewhere in Ye Olde England’s thirteen’s century in its treatment of women. Ministers like Christian Porter, “By The Grace of God” Attorney General of Australia, seem to feel he should rule us by divine right and is above codes of ministerial conduct.
While we, the serfs do not need to be informed about anything, such as pork barrelling using tax payers money on politically allocated sports and regional development grants.
Peter Dutton will keep making new laws to insure none of the embarrassing stories gets out: “It’s about national security you know!” The ABC will keep being cut until it can’t say anything and journalist and their sources will be imprisoned for trying to report what the public needs to know.
Geoffrey Chaucer loved to write a good story of hypocrisy, Alan Tudge would have been a perfect subject for him. But then again, Geoffrey would have had to reveal his sources or serve time.