Culminates Greens’ Decade Long Push

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the fact that a Bill to establish a State integrity Commission has passed the Lower House, but have also pointed out the irony of such significant legislation being rammed through in one sitting ending at 2:30am, when it was meant to a key plank in the government 10-Point Plan to restore faith in Tasmania’s democracy.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that after waiting ten years for an Integrity Commission to be established allowing debate to occur over a few days would have been a worthwhile investment to ensure the legislation was the best it could be.

“Tasmania is one step closer to finally getting an independent Integrity Commission that the Greens and the community have been calling for over the last decade,” Mr McKim said.

“However, it was bitterly ironic that such significant legislation, and such a public policy breakthrough, was treated with the usual Labor majority government contempt with this complex Bill being rammed through in one all-night sitting.”

“The new Integrity Commission warranted thorough analysis and scrutiny to ensure that high community expectations that a truly independent investigative body will be established which has the appropriate functions and powers, but that these are not at a cost to our civil liberties.”

“One area of concern is the fact that Labor has still failed to establish a Charter of Human Rights despite the Law Reform Institute recommendation of 2007, which would have provided an overriding civil liberties framework for all our institutions.”

“There were other aspects of the legislation that the Greens believe should have been strengthened that would have improved the Integrity Commission’s ability to meet its three-prong focus of Education and Prevention, Complaints, and Investigations.”

“We have waited for ten years for an independent investigative body to be established, and it would have been a worthwhile investment by providing sufficient time for a thorough debate to ensure that we get this Integrity Commission right.”
Nick McKim MP Greens Leader