Australia is on the cusp of establishing a National Anti-Corruption Commission – thereby filling the largest institutional gap in our integrity system. Political integrity is key to responding to political corruption and its drivers.
However, this important new body cannot provide a ‘silver bullet’ solution to all the challenges of maintaining and strengthening integrity in Australia.
As Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index found this year, Australia’s score on this global corruption assessment has hit a record low, after a decade of stagnation and decline.
We need to take further action to prevent and stop corruption by closing the loopholes that enable corruption risks to occur. This means strengthening our institutions, policies and practices against corruption by taking a system-wide approach to strengthening integrity. This approach will effectively prevent and stop corruption, and nurture greater public confidence and participation in our democracy.
Our position is informed by Transparency International’s definition of corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. This includes material gain, like bribes, as well as any benefits which breach that trust, including corruption for the purpose of sustaining power, status or wealth.
Our research and advocacy focus on how we may ensure that power is not abused, but rather exercised for the common good.
Fundamentally, this relies on our elected representatives gaining office through open and inclusive political competition, reflecting the will and voice of the community, including ordinary people and legitimate interest groups.