Coroner & Legal
Abolishing Integrity: ‘Straight out of the Campbell Newman Playbook’
The Liberal majority government’s submission to the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Integrity is a confession that it wants to abolish the investigative powers of the Integrity Commission.
“This is the height of hypocrisy. The Liberals voted in favour of an Integrity Commission with investigative powers when in Opposition, yet after just six months in government they want to kill off its capacity to investigate allegations of corruption and serious misconduct,” said Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim MP.
“The Liberals want to emasculate the Integrity Commission when what it really needs is more powers, not fewer.
“This is straight out of the Campbell Newman playbook.
“If the government’s position becomes law, Tasmania risks a return to the bad old days when national newspapers were editorialising that there was something rotten at the core of the Apple Isle.
“Clearly Premier Will Hodgman does not really care about having allegations of public sector corruption independently investigated. Does he have something to hide?
“Tasmanians need to have confidence that allegations of corruption and misconduct can be independently investigated without fear or favour.
“The reason for the Liberals’ savage $3m cut to the Integrity Commission budget now becomes crystal clear.” Mr McKim said.
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• Nick McKim: Liberals want to effectively abolish Integrity Commission