We need a Federal ICAC

Ian Mazlin, The Greens candidate for Bowman, writes about why we need a Federal ICAC

Letters to Redlands2030 discuss the need for a Federal ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption). If you have something to say, email your letter to: theeditor@redlands2030.net

Cleaning up federal politics: we need a federal ICAC

At a Redlands2030 meeting recently I was asked for some details about the Greens’ policy on a federal ICAC, and how it differentiates from the ALP.  I offered to obtain more details of the Greens’ policy.

Fortunately the portfolio holder for democracy is Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters.

Larissa and The Greens have been championing a strong, independent national integrity commission for over a decade and our Bill to establish one has already passed the Senate.  In the past few years Labor has agreed to support a strong model, and we hope to push them to deliver on it in balance of power.

Significantly, The Greens recognise that an ICAC is essential to deter corruption and punish corrupt politicians, but we also need to remove the conditions that allow corruption to fester in the first place.

Our Cleaning Up Politics policy takes a holistic approach to restoring robust democracy by:

• introducing truth in political advertising laws
• reforming donation laws to ban dirty donations, cap all other donations to $1k, and require real time disclosure
• capping electoral spending so elections aren’t bought by those with the deepest pockets 
• strengthening the Register of Interests so all potential conflicts are disclosed
• strengthening the Lobbying Code and publish Ministers’ diaries so you know who’s meeting with whom 
• implementing an enforceable Code of Conduct for all politicians and senior staff (not just Ministers) so there are clear consequences for misconduct
• protecting whistleblowers
• preventing Ministers taking roles in industries they used to regulate within 5 years of leaving parliament.

Labor has spoken broadly about the need for election spending limits and donations reform, but so far their plans stop at better disclosure (and they actually voted against us when we moved amendments identical to their own to lower the disclosure threshold!).  

They won’t commit to stop taking corporate donations, and they have resisted efforts to stop politicians sliding straight into cushy industry jobs, or greater transparency of meetings with lobbyists.

The Greens are the only party with a whole-of-system approach to restoring democracy.  

Thank you for the opportunity to meet with your members and supporters and allowing me to put forward my concerns and the platform of the Greens for the upcoming election. I hope I made it very clear that I am opposed to the mega residential development being planned for Toondah Harbour.  

What is needed is an upgrade of the ferry terminal, that needs to be appropriate to the needs of the community and users.  A mega residential development has no place in that process.

Ian Mazlin

The Greens candidate for Bowman

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Informed voting is essential in a democracy

The people of Australia are held accountable for their behaviour by wide-ranging laws and regulations.

These processes are put in place to stop people speeding, avoiding tax, abusing medicare and much more.

Laws are coupled with processes that mean being caught involves being punished.

Surely it is only fair that we are able to hold our federal politicians to account for their actions.

That accountability can only be derived by legal processes that have the power to openly investigate and report to the Australian voters on the behaviour of Federal politicians.

Across Australia, the most obvious model for a corruption body is the NSW ICAC.

How else can we have an informed vote, the very cornerstone of democracy?

Surely the delay in making an ICAC (since the last Federal election) was long enough, we need a meaningful Federal ICAC and that should occur say within say 6 months of the next election

N.D.
Cleveland

Redlands2030 – 1 May 2022