ADVERTISEMENT Open Letter on the Establishment of a National Integrity Commission To the Prime Minister

Enough is enough. The establishment of a National Integrity Commission with teeth is long overdue. Last election, all sides of politics promised to legislate an integrity commission. In fact, the Government promised: “It’ll be done a lot quicker than the promise those opposite made as to when they would do it; it’ll be a lot quicker than the 12 months that they promised.” – then-Attorney General Christian Porter, Hansard 1 August 2019. This was one of several ‘priority reforms’ that the Government would be ‘working to achieve early in the 46th Parliament.’ In the current climate, we understand that priorities can change. However, the Government has kept the Australian public waiting for 922 days, and has found time to tackle a great number of the Government’s self-described priorities outside of the coronavirus response – but has yet to fi nd time for this one. A National Integrity Commission is urgently needed to fi ll the gaps in our integrity system and restore trust in our democracy. A major cause of the current deterioration in trust is the suspicion that corruption permeates many governmental decisions and actions. Corruption, broadly understood in this context, occurs when those in public offi ce place private interests over the public good. The avoidance of corruption is an essential organising principle of our representative democracy. Existing federal integrity agencies lack the necessary jurisdiction, powers and expertise to investigate properly the impartiality and bona-fi des of decisions made by, and conduct of, the federal government and public sector. Australia Institute research shows that while public confi dence in its state government leaders is soaring, the same cannot be said for our federal government. The National Integrity Committee has outlined a benchmark for designing a model integrity commission with internal and external protections to ensure its own integrity. It must have a broad jurisdiction and strong investigative powers including, subject to proper protections, the power to hold public hearings when it is in the public interest to do so, in order to adequately investigate and expose corruption and misconduct. We urge you to establish a strong, effective and independent National Integrity Commission immediately.

SIGNATORIES -- Professor Joo-Cheong Tham Professor John Hewson AM The Hon Mary Gaudron QC Melbourne Law School Crawford School of Public Policy ANU Former Judge, High Court of Australia Professor AJ Brown Professor Emerita The Hon Anthony Whealy QC Griffi th University, Transparency International Australia Former Premier of Former Judge, NSW Court of Appeal Professor Kate Auty Emertius Professor Geoff Gallop AC The Hon Paul Stein AM QC Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne Former Premier of Western Australia Former Judge, NSW Court of Appeal Professor Tim Prenzler Cathy McGowan AO The Hon Margaret White AO Professor of Criminology, University of Sunshine Coast Former independent Member of Parliament for Indi Former Judge, Queensland Court of Appeal Professor Spencer Zifcak Lyn Allison The Hon Stephen Charles AO QC Allan Myers Professor of Law Former Senator for Victoria Former Judge, Victorian Court of Appeal Professor Ken Coghill The Hon Barry Jones AC The Hon David Harper AM QC Adjuct Professor Monash University; former Speaker of Former Member of Parliament for Lalor and Minister for Former Judge, Victorian Court of Appeal the Victorian Legislative Assembly Science The Hon Carmel McLure AC QC Emeritus Professor Meredith Edwards AM The Hon Kevin Rozzoli AM Former President, Western Australian Court of Appeal University of Former Speaker of NSW Parliament, member The Hon Murray Tobias AM QC A/Professor Elizabeth M. Dax AM Accountability Roundtable Former Judge, NSW Court of Appeal Former Director, National Reference Laboratory Beryce Nelson The Hon G E (Tony) Fitzgerald AC QC Dr Klaas Woldring Former Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Former Judge, Federal Court of Australia; former Former Associate Professor, Southern Cross University for Aspley President, Queensland Court of Appeal Dr Rebecca Ananian-Welsh David Muir AM The Hon Margaret McMurdo AC Senior Lecturer, TC Beirne School of Law, The University Chair Clem Jones Group Former President, Queensland Court of Appeal of Queensland Howard Whitton The Hon Geoff Davies AO QC Dr Richard Gould Visiting Fellow National Institute for Governance and Former Judge, Queensland Court of Appeal Tribunal Member, Victorian Government Policy Analysis, Director The Ethicos Group The Hon FHR Vincent Dr Cameron Hazlehurst Dr Peter Wilkins Former Judge, Victorian Court of Appeal Chair, The Ethicos Group Institute of Public Policy The Hon Peter Lyons QC Alex McKean Stuart Hamilton AO Former Judge, Supreme Court of Queensland Barrister Director, Accountability Roundtable, former senior The Hon Roslyn Atkinson AO Fiona McLeod AO SC Commonwealth public servant Former Judge, Supreme Court of Queensland Barrister Dr Julia Thornton The Hon Alan Wilson QC Joshua Jones Director, Accountability Roundtable, immediate past Chair, Former Judge, Supreme Court of Queensland Barrister Victorian Branch, Australian Fabian Society Sarah Bradley AO Stephen Keim SC Bill Browne Former Judge, Queensland District Court Barrister Senior Researcher, The Australia Institute Democracy & Julian Gardner AM Robert Richter QC Accountability Program Former Victorian Public Advocate Barrister Jonathon Hunyor Judith Bell AM Dr Kristine Hanscombe QC CEO, Public Interest Advocacy Centre Former Commissioner, Queensland Crime and Misconduct Barrister John Menadue AO Commission Brian Walters AM QC Publisher Geoffrey Watson SC Barrister Howard Pender Barrister, former counsel assisting NSW ICAC; Ben Slade Convenor, Australasian Centre for Corporate Director, Centre for Public Integrity Principal, Maurice Blackburn Responsibility Nicholas Cowdery AO QC Josh Bornstein Dr Valarie Sands Former Director of Public Prosecutions for NSW Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn Chair, Australian Citizens Against Corruption