Demand a Federal Corruption Watchdog with teeth!
The Coalition Government has a plan to set up a federal anti-corruption watchdog.
It sounds impressive, unless you're paying attention to the details. The fact is Christian Porter's toothless anti-corruption watchdog is worse than nothing at all.
We only have a few days left to flood the public consultation process with submissions, showing just how much public support there is for an anti-corruption watchdog with teeth.
Will you send a message to the Coalition, demanding a watchdog with the powers to truly stamp out corruption?
It sounds impressive, unless you're paying attention to the details. The fact is Christian Porter's toothless anti-corruption watchdog is worse than nothing at all.
We only have a few days left to flood the public consultation process with submissions, showing just how much public support there is for an anti-corruption watchdog with teeth.
Will you send a message to the Coalition, demanding a watchdog with the powers to truly stamp out corruption?
- No public hearings. It'll keep all investigations a secret, doing more to help cover up corruption than expose it
- No public findings of corruption. Meaning politicians are less likely to face any real consequences for their misdeeds.
- Limited scope. The Government watchdog won't be able to investigate many instances of dodgy behaviour from politicians - like Peter Dutton's au pair scandal
- Limited powers. It won't be able to investigate complaints from members of the public or use standard investigate powers like intercepting MP phone calls.
- Limited funding. The Coalition are planning to underfund the watchdog - meaning less invesgations, and less resources to uncover corruption!
References:
[1] Government agrees to national anti-corruption body – with strict limits, The Conversation, 13 December 2018.
[2] There's a good model for a federal ICAC - it's not the PM's, Sydney Morning Herald, 14 December 2018.
[3] Porter's Commonwealth Integrity Commission gets a lukewarm reception, The Mandarin, 14 December 2018.
We need a federal anti-corruption watchdog to keep our politicians honest and always acting in the best interest of everyday people.
Every State already has an anti-corruption watchdog and they have proved their worth time and time again in exposing corruption and wrong-doing.
A federal anti-corruption watchdog with teeth – with broad investigative powers, conducting public hearings – would transform our federal politics. Polling shows more than 80 per cent of Australians want a federal corruption watchdog.2
But change doesn't happen because of polls — it happens because so many people demand it that our leaders can't ignore it any longer.
References
[1] PM faces corruption watchdog rebellion, The New Daily, 25 November 2018. [2]"Vote Compass: Australians want a federal corruption watchdog, even though major parties don't", ABC News, 6 June 2016.
Every State already has an anti-corruption watchdog and they have proved their worth time and time again in exposing corruption and wrong-doing.
A federal anti-corruption watchdog with teeth – with broad investigative powers, conducting public hearings – would transform our federal politics. Polling shows more than 80 per cent of Australians want a federal corruption watchdog.2
But change doesn't happen because of polls — it happens because so many people demand it that our leaders can't ignore it any longer.
References
[1] PM faces corruption watchdog rebellion, The New Daily, 25 November 2018. [2]"Vote Compass: Australians want a federal corruption watchdog, even though major parties don't", ABC News, 6 June 2016.
CALL FOR A FEDERAL CORRUPTION WATCHDOG WITH TEETH
Can you take a few minutes to write to Attorney-General Christian Porter's Department?Let them know you want a strong anti-corruption watchdog that stamps out political corruption, not covers it up!
Unsure of what to say? There's lots of reasons to reject the Coalition's toothless watchdog on the bottom left of this page.
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