Watchdog vital amid rising corruption, plummeting trust in Australia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Nov 2022 10:09
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Australia passes legislation establishing a national integrity watchdog with broad powers to investigate politicians.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese (Reuters)

Rising corruption and plummeting trust prompted Australia to pass legislation on Wednesday establishing a national integrity watchdog with broad powers to investigate politicians.

A string of controversies, including expenses abuse, political interference, and influence peddling by the gambling industry, has hit Australia hard, leading to the corrosion of public trust

The anti-corruption legislation was passed on the same day that parliament censured former conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison for secretly appointing himself to several cabinet positions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Public integrity was one of the defining issues in Australia's general election earlier this year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced the bill to parliament on Wednesday, saying it was crucial to restoring public trust. "Today has been a long time coming, it's a win for honesty, accountability and integrity," he said.

Transparency International's Clancy Moore described it as the "largest reform to public integrity in Australia in over 40 years."

"People think Australia is a nice holiday destination, but the last twelve years has seen Australia slip down Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index by 12 points," he told AFP.

"The last decade has seen numerous political scandals that have eroded people's trust and ultimately weakened democracy."

The watchdog

The bill intends to create a corruption watchdog able to investigate politicians in Australia's national parliament, which is expected to be ready by mid-2023.

That said, many of Australia's states and territories have similar bodies that operate on a local level.

According to a Transparency International index, perceptions of corruption in Australia have steadily increased since 2012, reflecting a slew of political scandals and a failure to implement meaningful reforms.

Australia lags behind other wealthy countries in its efforts to prevent corporate interests from influencing politicians. "What is considered illegal and corrupt influence overseas is business as usual in Canberra," the report said.

Moore pointed to recent claims of electoral "pork barrelling" as another example of questionable conduct. "We've seen pork barrelling, where governments in the lead up to elections have poured money into marginal seats to win favour with voters," he said.