Pages tagged "political transparency"
Integrity in politics
A robust democracy depends on transparency, integrity, and accountability. I will always stand for a political system that earns and keeps the trust of Australians.
Championing integrity in politics
In 2022, Australians elected the largest crossbench in our history because electorates like Kooyong demanded greater transparency and integrity in government.
Since I was elected, I’ve worked with the government and my crossbench colleagues to improve the National Anti-Corruption Commission legislation. I’ve proposed a private members bill to improve transparency over lobbyists’ activities, to open Ministerial diaries, and close the revolving door between senior jobs in government and industry. I supported Dr Helen Haines’ private member’s bill to stop pork-barrelling, as well as other crossbench-led bills for meaningful and fair reform of electoral donations, preventing jobs for mates, and better whistleblower protections.
All were developed in consultation with integrity bodies and legal experts. Regrettably, none were accepted for further debate by the Albanese Government. We have more work to do to improve integrity, transparency and trust in government.
Clean Up Politics Act
Australians deserve openness in government decision-making. While advocacy is a legitimate contribution to our democratic process, thousands of Australians have called for lobbying transparency. That’s why I introduced my bill to ‘Clean Up Politics’. The bill strengthens integrity by proposing a robust Register of Lobbyists, requiring the publication of Ministers’ diaries and providing a cooling-off period to close the revolving door between Ministers, their advisors and senior government officials, and the industries they oversee.
The public deserves to know which parliamentarians are sponsoring which individuals. As part of my commitment to the people of Kooyong, I promised to do politics differently — and that starts with being transparent. Lobbying can be a legitimate part of the democratic process, but only if it's open and accountable. Below is a list of individuals I have sponsored passes for:
- Barry Trail, Solutions for Climate Australia
- Christian Slattery, Australian Democracy Network
Strengthening our democracy
Integrity in public expenditure is essential to maintaining confidence in our system of government. Public funds should be used to appoint the right people to our government boards and public offices - and not as a reward for the friends and allies of the major parties. That’s why I support measures to end ‘Jobs for Mates’, ensuring appointment processes are fair, transparent, and independent. I also will continue to advocate for responsible government spending, reduced waste, and an end to pork-barrelling.
A healthy democracy relies on integrity in our electoral system. Australians deserve a high standard of truthfulness in political debate. I will continue to support measures for truth in political advertising that protect freedom of political communication but ensure fairness and accountability in our political process.
I also support crossbench efforts to strengthen electoral integrity and equity, including reforms to ensure fairness in political donations and preventing the harvesting of constituent data through postal voting. These reforms will ensure that diverse voices receive a fair go to participate in our democratic process.
We need a stronger National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) which can hold public hearings on issues of public corruption. The NACC was a key pillar of my campaign in 2022 and a significant achievement for crossbench MPs. Since its establishment, thousands of referrals have demonstrated the public’s appetite for accountability. I will continue calling on the government to strengthen the nation’s corruption watchdog so that it can deliver genuine integrity and accountability of government.