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A History of Misconduct: the Case for a Federal Icac

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A History of Misconduct: the Case for a Federal Icac MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS A HISTORY OF MISCONDUCT: THE CASE FOR A FEDERAL ICAC INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST MICHAEL WEST, COMMISSIONED BY GETUP 1 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS MISCONDUCT IN RESOURCES, WATER AND LAND MANAGEMENT Page 5 MISCONDUCT RELATED TO UNDISCLOSED CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Page 8 POTENTIAL MISCONDUCT IN LOBBYING MISCONDUCT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO Page 11 INAPPROPRIATE USE OF TRANSPORT Page 13 POLITICAL DONATION SCANDALS Page 14 FOREIGN INFLUENCE ON THE POLITICAL PROCESS Page 16 ALLEGEDLY FRAUDULENT PRACTICES Page 17 CURRENT CORRUPTION WATCHDOG PROPOSALS Page 20 2 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS FOREWARD: Trust in government has never been so low. This crisis in public confidence is driven by the widespread perception that politics is corrupt and politicians and public servants have failed to be held accountable. This report identifies the political scandals of the and other misuse of public money involving last six years and the failure of our elected leaders government grants. At the direction of a minister, to properly investigate this misconduct. public money was targeted at voters in marginal electorates just before a Federal Election, In 1994, customs officers discovered a teddy bear potentially affecting the course of government in in the luggage of Federal Government minister Australia. Mick Young and his wife. It had not been declared on the Minister’s customs declaration. Young This cheating on an industrial scale reflects a stepped aside as a minister while an investigation political culture which is evolving dangerously. into the “Paddington Bear Affair” took place. The weapons of the state are deployed against journalists reporting on politics, and whistleblowers That was during the prime ministership of Bob in the public service - while at the same time we Hawke. Under John Howard’s leadership, seven lack adequate mechanisms to render the legislative ministers stood down over travel rorts and and executive branch of government accountable conflicts of interest in less than a year. Since then for their actions. standards have plunged, bringing widespread calls for a Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC). This report is not the first which lays out the need for a federal integrity or anti-corruption body. Now, far more serious scandals routinely engulf A 2018 Grattan Institute analysis of access and government ministers and MPs: Energy Minister influence in Australian politics called for a federal Angus Taylor and the Watergate scandal last year, body to investigate potential misconduct or the Paladin and Hello World affairs, a slew of travel corruption, publish findings, and refer any corrupt rorts and political donations conflicts, all of which activity to the Commonwealth Director of Public have profoundly undermined public confidence in Prosecutions. government. The plethora of political scandals has now reached a crescendo with the recent SportsRorts scandal 3 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS FOREWARD CONTINUED: The relentless incidence of political scandals, as laid Even so, the Porter proposal is no sure thing. out in this report, has led to two proposals for an One Queensland LNP MP, Llew O’Brien, has even Integrity Commission: a Liberal Party proposal by threatened to cross the floor and vote against the Attorney-General Christian Porter and a proposal Porter bill if the Attorney-General does not deliver by the Greens which has received support from a CIC proposal “with teeth”. Labor and the crossbench in the Senate. This report outlines numerous instances of The Porter proposal has been criticised for its lack ministerial and party misconduct which strengthen of proper funding, a two-tiered system which treats arguments in favour of a robust federal anti- politicians and bureaucrats differently, and for its corruption watchdog. The report also analyses lack of public hearings and ability to publish public the two proposals in accordance with their merits, findings. Holding secret hearings, which Porter noting that while the Labor party has publicly has defended as protecting peoples’ reputations, supported an Integrity Commission since the defeats the purpose of an integrity commission beginning of 2018, it is yet to provide a proposal. and would only perpetuate public cynicism. The Greens' National Integrity Commission bill proposed by Senator Larissa Waters, is far more robust but even with the support of a majority in the Senate (comprising the cross-bench, Labor and Greens), it is destined to fail in the Lower House against the Government’s majority. 4 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS MICHAEL WEST Michael spent two decades working as a journalist, stockbroker, editor and finance commentator before striking out on his own in July 2016. After eight years as a commentator with The Australian and another eight years with the Sydney Morning Herald as a journalist and editor, Michael founded this website to focus on journalism of high public interest. West is a Walkley-award winner and Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Social and Political Sciences. 5 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS MISCONDUCT: In Resources, Water and Land Management 01 JOSH FRYDENBERG, ——— ANGUS TAYLOR year: PArty: 2017 Liberal Party of Australia Positions (at the time): for critically endangered grasslands. This was subsequent to a company called Jam Lands, Frydenberg: Minister for Resources, Energy and jointly owned by Taylor and his brother, being Northern Australia from 21.9.2015 to 19.7.2016 investigated for spraying herbicide onto 30 and Minister for the Environment and Energy hectares of land prior to it being turned into from 19.7.2016 to 28.8.2018. pasture. The request was denied. This is an example of a questionable process. Taylor: Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation 18.2.2016 to 20.12.2017 response: Allegation: In 2017, state and federal investigations were underway into whether Jam Land Pty Ltd An adviser in Josh Frydenberg’s office allegedly illegally poisoned 30 hectares of land containing explored whether a certain grassland species native temperate grasses – considered an could be removed from the critically endangered endangered ecological community under federal list at the Minister’s discretion. This was environment laws – in the Monaro region. undertaken on behalf of one of Angus Taylor’s staffers. No outcome. Taylor sought to water down federal protections 6 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS 02 BARNABY JOYCE ———------------------------- year: PArty: 2016 The Nationals Positions (at the time): horticultural and household chemicals before they can be used in Australia - of many of its Minister for Agriculture, Water Resources and experts. Northern Australia from 21.9.2015 to 27.10.2017. More than 110 staff have since left the APVMA. There has been conjecture about why a cost- Allegation: benefit analysis of the relocation has not been Barnaby Joyce decided to move the Australian publicly released, amid long delays building new Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority premises for the APVMA. (APVMA) from Canberra to his electorate of Armidale. Only a minority of its specialist staff response: subsequently expressed a desire to move to his New England electorate, thus depriving the No inquiry launched. agency - which assesses the use of agricultural, 03 BARNABY JOYCE ———------------------------- year: PArty: 2017 The Nationals Positions (at the time): interests associated with Liberal Party ally Chris Corrigan. Minister for Agriculture, Water Resources and Rather than going to open tender, the deal was Northern Australia from 21.9.2015 to 27.10.2017 allegedly put forward by then-head of the NSW and Deputy Prime Minister from 18.2.2016 to Office of Water, Gavin Hanlon, who sought the 27.10.2017. water to help the state achieve its environmental targets. There are significant questions about Allegation: whether the water purchased was reliable and Nationals politician Barnaby Joyce was involved whether Tandou received too much public money with a water buyback program in 2017 which in the transaction. raised concerns about a lack of transparency and the awarding of overly generous water payments response: to political allies and party donors. The $80 million transactions at the centre of Coalition referred the matter to the Auditor- allegations involved cotton corporation Tandou, General. owned by Webster Ltd which is controlled by 7 MISCONDUCT IN POLITICS 04 ANGUS TAYLOR ———------------------------- year: PArty: 2017 Liberal Party of Australia Positions (at the time): EAA was awarded $79 million in public money for its Overflow Water, which many claimed Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transfor- was worthless, during the 2017 water buyback mation from 18.2.2016 to 20.12.2017 program. Dubbed #Watergate in the media, the affair raised concerns about secrecy, the use of Allegation: tax havens and exorbitant prices paid to foreign- In 2007, Taylor co-founded Eastern Australia controlled companies for their Australian water Agriculture (EAA). EAA owned two cotton-growing rights. EAA’s proposal to sell water rights had properties, Kia Ora and Clyde, in the St George twice been rejected by the Federal Government region of Queensland. Taylor has asserted his prior to the controversial deal. Then Assistant involvement in the company ceased in 2013, Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation together with his involvement in its Caymans Angus Taylor had been a director of both EAA parent, Eastern Australian Irrigation (EAI). In and the founder of EAA’s parent company in the 2017 the government, under the water minister
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