Submission to the Proposed Model for the Establishment of a Commonwealth Integrity Commission AND the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry into the National Integrity Commission Bill 2018, and the National Integrity (Parliamentary Standards) Bill 2018.
Submission: Commonwealth Integrity Commission
Trust and confidence in the integrity of Parliament, the public sector and the system of government, is at an all-time low.
This is recognised by all parties and was again confirmed by our most recent Global Corruption Barometer Survey. Now is the time, without delay and political wrangling, for the Parliament to come together and create a well-resourced, nationally coordinated pro-integrity framework, with an emphasis on prevention alongside strong investigative powers.
TIA supports the package of bills introduced by Cathy McGowan AO, MP on behalf of the crossbenchers, namely the National Integrity Commission Bill 2018 and the National Integrity (Parliamentary Standards) Bill 2018. The NIC Bills provide a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to addressing issues of parliamentary integrity and preventing, detecting, investigating and disclosing corruption than the proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) model.
They provide a model that better meets public expectations and is better placed to help restore trust and confidence in government, than any other previous or current Commonwealth Bills, commitments or proposals, including the CIC proposal. It provides an integrity and anti-corruption framework, specifically designed to meet the needs of the Commonwealth, and to address existing gaps. It provides a pro-integrity model with emphasis on prevention