Truth is fundamental to democracy. When citizens cannot tell fact from fiction and leaders spread falsehoods for political advantage, society as a whole is damaged. Read More
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus orders Commonwealth to drop charges against lawyer Bernard Collaery
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has ordered the Commonwealth to drop the prosecution of lawyer Bernard Collaery, four years after he was charged with conspiring to release classified information about an alleged spying operation in East Timor. Mr Collaery was charged in 2018 for allegedly helping his client, an ex-spy known only as Witness K, to reveal… Read More
Albanese bans blind trusts and shares for ministers, keeps ‘bonk ban’
Federal government ministers have been told to sell off shareholdings and divest from blind trust arrangements under a tough new code of conduct implemented by Anthony Albanese. Maintaining a ban on sex between ministers and their staff, the Prime Minister said frontbenchers would be held personally responsible for managing their private financial affairs and could… Read More
SA government denies pork-barrelling accusations on sports grants, amid broader national discussion over the practice
Written by Rory McClaren. Originally published by the ABC on June 26 2022. In politics, making good on election commitments should be thought of as core business. But how those promises are created, then delivered, in government can be a minefield for politicians of all political persuasions. From commuter cark parks by the Federal Coalition… Read More
John Barilaro’s New York trade job may be completely above board, but it needs scrutiny
all these questions may be answered in favour of the Barilaro appointment. However from the integrity perspective, they need to be addressed and answered with the utmost openness clarity and transparency. Read More
Taxpayers fund $55.6 billion in federal grants over less than four years
Taxpayers have funded $55.6 billion in federal grants over less than four years under rules that give ministers sweeping powers to decide the payments, with new research fuelling an election row over calls to establish a national integrity commission to safeguard public funds. The findings show the grants reached $20 billion last year alone across… Read More
Albanese challenges PM on federal corruption watchdog amid $55b grant concerns
Written by Finbar O’Mallon and originally published on 7news.com.au on 19 April 2022 Scott Morrison says he’ll only introduce his highly criticised model for a federal anti-corruption body if Labor promises to let it through unchanged. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has promised to legislate a federal anti-corruption commission by the end of the year if… Read More
Scott Morrison’s secret ministries undermine public trust – and we should be deeply concerned
The secrecy and evasiveness of Morrison’s conduct is consistent with many of his attributes as prime minister. There can be little doubt that the issue of public and personal integrity permeated and ultimately overwhelmed the recent election. There was, except among the diehards, a general sigh of relief that nearly a decade of a government… Read More