If we had a federal anti-corruption commission, how many members of the Morrison ministry would have had to do a Gladys by now?
To be clear, “doing a Gladys” means recognising that your position as a serving minister is untenable, because you are under investigation over allegations of possible corrupt conduct in public office. It is conventional and unremarkable that a person holding an office of public trust must stand aside while they are under a cloud relating to their fitness for that office.
Contrary to popular opinion, Gladys Berejiklian has not been forced from office. She had no proper choice but to stand down as premier while the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) conducts its hearing, although there was no need (and nobody was calling) for her to resign from Parliament altogether. If cleared, she could have resumed her job; it was her choice to foreclose that possibility.
The matters ICAC is investigating are whether Berejiklian committed a breach of public trust in relation to large grants given to a clay target association and music conservatorium in Wagga Wagga in 2017-2018, when she had an undisclosed personal relationship with the local MP, Daryl Maguire. Further, whether she knew or suspected Maguire was engaging in corrupt conduct and failed to report it as she was required to do by the ICAC Act.
If ICAC had a federal equivalent with the same legislation and powers, who would be in its sights? On the assumption that it was currently conducting investigations or inquiries into the allegations of corrupt conduct listed below, which ministers would be sitting on the backbench instead, waiting for their names to be cleared?
Nothing in the list below qualifies as more than an allegation and all of the ministers are entitled, as is Berejiklian, to the presumption of innocence. However, in each case there are serious questions of possible impropriety which have not been subjected to the kind of fully independent inquiry which an anti-corruption body would conduct. It’s reasonable to suggest that these ministers currently occupy their posts under unresolved clouds.
Angus Taylor
“Watergate” ($80 million of public money used to buy water licences from a company of which Taylor had been a director) and “Grassgate” (illegal land clearing by a Taylor family company about his involvement in which he allegedly misled Parliament), and the allegation that his office forged a document to discredit Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Bridget McKenzie
Sports rorts. Enough said.
Peter Dutton
Intervened to give visas to two European au pairs, allegedly misled Parliament by claiming he had no connection to their employers.
Barnaby Joyce
Approved the $80 million purchase of water rights worth $1.4 million in the “Watergate” affair; was paid $675,000 as special envoy for drought while filing no reports of any actual work; claimed $5500 expenses as “overseas study” for him and his wife to fly by private jet to India for the wedding of the grandchild of Gina Rinehart’s business associate.
Josh Frydenberg
Drawn into Angus Taylor’s “Grassgate” scandal, with allegations that his office sought advice about watering down grasslands protections in secret, for Taylor’s benefit.
Paul Fletcher
Fast-tracked a $10 million grant (on top of a previous $30 million grant to support women’s sport) to Foxtel with no competitive tender or grants process but following direct representations from Foxtel; appointed failed Liberal Party candidate to SBS board, ignoring the recommendations of an independent panel.
Michael Sukkar
Allegedly used taxpayer-funded staff for political tasks including branch-stacking and smear campaigns; cleared by an investigation conducted by the law firm at which he used to work.
Alan Tudge
Responsible for the $660 million car parks fund, denied personal knowledge of list that targeted top 20 marginal seats for grants which allegedly originated in his office.
Sussan Ley
Alleged misuse of expense allowances: claimed $76,000 for a seven-day trip to the US, and travel expenses for a trip to the Gold Coast during which she purchased an investment property.
Scott Morrison
His office appears to have had its fingers all over both the sports rorts and car parks rorts affairs; also, the weird lying about trying to get Brian Houston a seat at the White House dinner.
And just a reminder: Scott Morrison promised to establish a federal anti-corruption body in December 2018. Three years on, all we have is an ever-growing list of reasons why we can conclude he was lying.
This makes me sick. Time to crack down on these self entitled, smug, corrupt, tax payer funded jerks, who are meant to help the people they represent! What can be done to fast track the federal ICAC?
“What can be done to fast track the federal ICAC?”
By constitutional means? Nothing much. The system of elected representatives might as well have been designed to be corrupted and those who benefit from that decide what, if anything, will be done about it.
Well, there is the ballot box solution. Several parties and independents are committed to a federal anticorruption policy including an institutional response …
The question being answered was “What can be done to fast track the federal ICAC?” and your suggestion, while constitutional, is not a fast track.
I reckon it would be pretty fast compared with the current plans, which have seen nothing as the product of a thousand days’ work.
There are numerous independent and so called moderate LNP members that could cross the floor in a no confidence motion if they really did want to insist on proper governance…
This is the only way. Asking the liberals to police their corrupt selves is ridiculous. String independents will force this
Correct, that is the only fast track available.
Re that ‘ballot box’ worship – no matter for whom one votes, government always win.
If voting could change anything it would be illegal.
Micro parties like this one are agitating:
https://www.federalicacnow.org/
It’s hard to see how they’ll make a huge dent, but if they could fluke a seat…
I deffinately have the popcorn out. This day is huge, Barilaro resigns and now the Pandora papers. ICAC have some detective help internationally today. WOW this is huge!! Glad I have no money in a wrapped and hidden in a bag somewhere
Well enjoy it while you can because nothing will change. as for the PPapers, the info about foreign investment in Australia from money laundering crooks is very disheartening, despite it being common knowledge.
Have you read this article on the ABC yet?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-05/pandora-papers-four-corners-australian-real-estate/100501062
A little bit of research on the FIRB reveals some discomforting information.
A 2016 parliamentary estimates report:
“There remains doubt as to whether the Treasury has the knowledge, experience and information-management systems to appropriately regulate foreign investment in Australia,” the inquiry’s main report found….2016
Five years later, Australia still lacks its own UBO register. Just like a Federal ICAC, would the two be related! Fraudenberg Treasurer Josh “refused “to answer on the record the ABC’s detailed questions, including when the government would introduce a register.”
Never mind, alls well cos the Treasury and Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) have defended their ability to screen foreign money behind purchases.
Who is the Chair of the FIRB?
FIRB chair is David Irvine told a Senate Estimates hearing last year:
“I’m satisfied that, certainly in most cases, we get a reasonably accurate picture of the ownership.” Take that Pandora!
But wait, THE David Irvine???
Former Director General of both the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service!!!!!!!!
And here he is he can’t find his own rear end, despite being a former Australian Ambassador to China and former Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, and an Adjunct Professor – Australian Graduate School of Policy and Security at Charles Sturt University, Inaugural Chair, and Board member of….wait for it: Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre.
I am so reassured now, thanks Dave! But wait, there’s more,
The bemedalled uniformed equivalent to the secret squirrel military pogrom against asylum seekers, the squawker who stood next to then Immig Minister Morrisin repeating, when prodded, the word “illegal” at strategic intervals, is now head of the ADF, and we have another Morrisin medal dazzler in charge of the tragically incompetent covid rollout.
Well the Morrisin covid rollout military man has been Principal Deputy Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate since 1 March 2018, now I am really impressed! David Irvine and General Frewen. Care for a tasty FIRB anyone?
Sometimes you acquit your function as a necessary evil well.
How astonishing that these good people and all their party colleagues are not pressing for a well-resourced, robust and independent federal integrity commission to investigate these allegations as soon as possible and so clear their names.
Right on Mr Rat, hallelujah! a genuine federal integrity commission. But wait a minute! The former AG and now backbencher previously stated the the passage of this authority delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Misdemeanours excepted. Who would vote for these crooks?
But didn’t Scotty from NSW say that a government that couldn’t do more than one thing at a time wasn’t worth the name?
These are the men with merit, non?
The former AG’s anonymous receipt of $1,000,000 to pay his legal fees might also be the subject of a question or two, I would have thought.
White fella corroupt my country, my people. White fella like rs lickin other white fella to glorify their status as a supreme white fella. White fella who cheat and lie should go to jail.!!!!
Sad to say but there is not one minister in $cotty’s government who would willingly stand down. None of them have any integrity whatsoever.
Not a fan of the Chaser however they put together a list of 124 items (with links to the relevant non-Chaser stories). This would be a good place to start.
https://chaser.com.au/national/an-exhaustive-list-of-the-liberal-partys-corruption-over-the-last-7-years/
That article was from February 18th 2021 – there have been a few more since then. Isn’t the Chaser supposed to be a satirical group? Why is it left to comedians to call out poor governmental behaviour? Poor fellow, my country.
Have just read information on this link and now I am going to vomit. This should be on the front page of every newspaper in the country.
Not while the Murdoch’s are in power.
An associated web-site identified 902 matters
I have no doubt this is not an exhaustive list!
It’s exhausting enough.