Victoria’s anti-corruption commission has raided the offices of Ferrari-driving property developer and political donor John Woodman and the homes of local councillors as it prepares to publicly grill politicians and property players over land deals in Melbourne’s sprawling south-east.
via Raids and public hearings in Victoria’s biggest anti-corruption inquiry yet
Yet governments have been indifferent. During the eleven years of the Howard government, there was no major anti-corruption initiative. No federal whistleblowing legislation, no federal integrity commission, no false claims Act, no foreign corrupt practices act.
Australia could not have a Mueller-type inquiry because we don’t have the mechanism.
Not surprisingly Australia has been sliding down Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for some time. Over the last six years, we have dropped six more places.
Last November, 34 former judges including former justices of the High Court, wrote a letter to Scott Morrison calling for the immediate establishment of a national integrity commission to restore trust in our democracy.
via Rewarding rorting and bad behaviour: Why many LNP politicians were re-elected
The long read: For 25 years, invoking this vague and ever-shifting nemesis has been a favourite tactic of the right – and Donald Trump’s victory is its greatest triumph
olddogthoughts 