A roadmap to strengthen the rule of law, restore accountability and public trust
6 pm Wednesday 8 December by Zoom
On Wednesday former Prime Minister Hon Malcolm Turnbull will launch the Accountability Round Table reform project, Integrity now! to strengthen the rule of law and restore accountability and public trust.
In launching the project Mr Turnbull is expected to say:
“Lying has been normalised and goes, for the most part, unremarked. Parliament seems unable to hold governments to account. The press gallery, in general, has become so compliant, or partisan, that it is unable to hold government to account. An independent federal integrity commission is needed today, more than ever. But that is not enough.”
Following the launch, lead author of Integrity Now! Prof. Charles Sampford, Director of ART will address the comprehensive framework of 21 reforms supported by the ART, noting that ‘such reforms are now not only absolutely necessary but entirely possible.’
The Integrity Now! project examines the principles of accountability and integrity in government. It identifies systemic failures and areas of risk and recommends a raft of necessary reforms designed to create a stronger, fairer and more resilient democracy including the essential design features of a national integrity commission.
Chair of ART Fiona McLeod AO SC, noted:
“Now is the time for governments to address the erosion of public trust, the blatant misuse of public office and squandering of public funds. ART’s Integrity Now! Project includes a comprehensive list of recommendations that, if implemented, will strengthen the federal rule of law, accountability and public trust.”
- Register here to join the event.
- Download Integrity Now! – 21 integrity reforms to restore the Rule of Law, Accountability and Public Trust
Simon Warriner
December 13, 2021 at 15:29
The Chair of ART, Fiona McLeod AO SC, noted:
“‘Now is the time for governments to address the erosion of public trust, the blatant misuse of public office and squandering of public funds. ART’s Integrity Now! Project includes a comprehensive list of recommendations that, if implemented, will strengthen the federal rule of law, accountability and public trust.’”
It is axiomatic that problems never get fixed by the same thinking that created them.
If follows, as night follows day, that expecting party based governments to address the results of their actions by introducing measures that ensure they act with integrity at all times is about as stupid as expecting a bull in a herd of heifers to practice celibacy. It is simply not in their nature, and if that is not understood then that lack of understanding renders the holder incapable of useful input on the subject.
The problem will be solved when the electorate stops voting for party politics, and instead puts Independents into government with very stern instructions to clean up the mess. If not that, then the ropes and pitchforks will emerge and the problem will eventually get dealt with, perhaps successfully, or not, depending on how much external influence from the rich and powerful is allowed to factor into the outcome.
It is to that eventuality that the work being described above needs to be focused. Attempting to fix the current mess is a waste of time, effort and money.
John Hawkins
December 15, 2021 at 16:10
The gambling lobby stumped up the money to buy power for the state Liberal Party. It has been suitably rewarded.
The salmon industry is protected by a compliant EPA which could see a substantially commenced pulp mill at Longreach and extensions to the Gunns permits.
The logging industry, using a compliant minister, shifted the government-owned STT pension liability onto the taxpayer to keep itself in business.
These are three examples of malfeasance in public life in a corrupt Tasmania.
Why will nobody ever speak up?
Simon Warriner
December 16, 2021 at 04:56
John Hawkins asks …
“Why will nobody ever speak up?”
Because without an effective anti-corruption regime in place to bring the corrupt to account there is absolutely no chance that anything positive will happen.
I heard, with a witness, a very senior member of the fire fighting fraternity standing on my property and make this comment about a fire burning in a heavily wooded valley on the day Dunalley burned to the waterline: “It’s only a little fire, wait ’til it’s big enough to fight properly”.
As a responsible member of the community I alerted the subsequent inquiry that this attitude existed within the ranks of our fire fighting force at a very senior level. My initial submission included observations that indicated the attitude was not limited to an isolated incident but was actually endemic. It was knocked back by the seconded TFS manager acting as gatekeeper to the inquiry, and the commissioner running the inquiry failed to further investigate, based on my second, much toned down submission. The matter was dismissed with a desultory two line comment in the final report.
Meanwhile my partner was allowed to be bullied out of her TFS job, injured and damaged, and the TFS HR manager who oversaw that act of complete bastardry now runs Worksafe.
Thinker
December 19, 2021 at 12:19
Thankyou for your question, Mr Hawkins.
Good people with rationally functioning minds are accessing the Web and they are speaking up, and importantly, they are writing, too. To find them, search the Web for its deeper thinkers on the progressive Green Left of politics.
They are definitely there, but the population at large has been so seduced with malicious corporatist deception that it rejects the truth. It’s as if it has been deliberately mesmerised by the ungodly for their illicit gain.
Simon Warriner
December 25, 2021 at 22:04
In response to Thinker …
One of the best functioning minds I have ever stumbled across observed that the left side of politics (green, pink, red or brindle) has a nasty habit of forming circular firing squads and self-destructing in a spectacular and unedifying fashion.
It seems to me that, after 60 years of observation, we are best served by keeping the factional politics as far as possible from serious decision making, and instead demanding that sensible adults behave in sensible ways and consider as wide a range of perspectives as is possible in their decision making processes.
I have proposed a way to achieve that outcome. What is the problem? Are you scared they will not reach the conclusion that your doctrine declares is the correct one?
We have seen what happens to the “Green Left” – and it has left a lot of previous supporters with a rather nasty taste in their mouths.