MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
THE MORRISON GOVERNMENT’S COVER-UP COMMISSION
The Morrison Government has proposed a weak, secretive and compromised model clearly designed to allow the Government to pretend it is acting to address corruption while ensuring it could never be held accountable for its multiple scandals.
Labor was not consulted on the proposal outlined today. It’s a lengthy bill and we will need to review it carefully.
But it’s already clear that the legislation essentially reflects the original proposal put forward by the Government almost two years ago.
This is a commission that would be unable to instigate its own independent inquiries other than in very limited circumstances, that would be unable to hold public hearings when a corruption investigation relates to politicians or public servants and may even be prevented from investigating any of the multiple past scandals of the Morrison Government.
Mr Porter has repeatedly blamed the COVID crisis for his refusal to make public the draft bill.
But evidence last week revealed Mr Porter has been sitting on this since December last year.
Today’s draft bill confirms the Morrison Government has no interest in integrity or fighting corruption and was using the COVID-crisis as an excuse to hide its weak and ineffective commission from the Australian public.
The ever-growing list of scandals surrounding the Morrison Government shows why Australia needs a powerful and independent Audit Office, and a powerful and independent National Integrity Commission – and why Mr Morrison and his colleagues will do everything in their power to crush both of them.
MONDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2020
