MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
90 SECOND STATEMENT
LABOR’S NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION
19 OCTOBER 2021
Writing on ICAC’s inquiry into Gladys Berejiklian this morning, Guardian Australia journalist Anne Davies said this:
“Aside from the lack of judgment shown in commenting on current proceedings involving a political colleague, the prime minister’s comments show a woeful lack of insight.”
I think she is being generous. This Prime Minister does have insight into how effectively ICAC operates to root out corruption in New South Wales and that’s precisely why the national anti-corruption commission he promised Australians over 1000 days ago is still nowhere in sight.
The Deputy Prime Minister let the cat out of the bag earlier this month when he said that ICAC meant - and I’m not making this up - “politicians are basically terrified to do their job.”
While the Prime Minister is currently at war with his Deputy on climate policy, they are in heated agreement that a federal anti-corruption commission, for them, is a terrifying prospect.
The Prime Minster and his deputy are right to be terrified. Terrified of what an independent national anti-corruption commission would reveal about what they have been up to over the last 8 years.
Unlike the Morrison Government, Labor isn’t terrified of taking strong action against corruption in government and unlike the Morrison Government Labor, in government, will establish a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission to hold all politicians to account.
ENDS
