Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm happy to speak on this motion: the need for the government to apply the highest standards of due process and probity to spending decisions. The Australian government is obliged to provide the highest standards of due process and probity to spending decisions and service delivery because we're caretakers in the expenditure of the public's money. We must account as MPs to all our constituents. I have 125,000. I represent Cowper, and I'm ensuring that their taxes are well spent and managed with a great degree of probity and care. We, as MPs, also need to report to them so that they receive their fair share and that this government's services meets their needs.

The Morrison-McCormack government does this by taking a multiagency approach to combat corruption. These agencies have specialised roles and responsibilities in deterring, detecting and responding to corruption. The key word here is responsibility—the ability to respond and enforce with authority, and consistently apply these highest standards. These institutions are designed for governance—important governance. They include parliamentary committees, government departments, independent statutory authorities and law enforcement agencies.

The Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, for example, detects, deters and disrupts corrupt conduct in Australian law enforcement agencies. In recent times, I went to New Zealand and Vanuatu on a delegation and examined those countries' measures in enforcing their laws to deter corruption. I take this opportunity to welcome the new commissioner, Ms Jaala Hinchcliffe. I'm told her appointment comes at a key time for the commission. One investigation Ms Hinchcliffe will undertake is the examination of the alleged potential corruption through Crown Resorts and the home affairs department. Starting work on this high-profile case shows that Ms Hinchcliffe means business in upholding probity and integrity in government to benefit all Australian people.

There is the Australian Federal Police, which partners with the state agencies across the Commonwealth in response to serious and complex corruption offences, which also includes fraud and foreign bribery. One recent high-profile case that the AFP worked on in conjunction with the military inspector-general was investigating Australian soldiers' actions in Afghanistan to ensure the laws of combat were upheld. I'll take this opportunity to thank all current and ex-service men and women for their service.

There is the Australian National Audit Office, which scrutinises financial management and the expenditure of public funds by the executive arm of the government. Plus there is the Commonwealth Ombudsman, who considers and investigates complaints for people who believe they have been treated unfairly by the Australian government. And, of course, there is the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, commissioned to audit, advise and report on expenses of parliamentarians and their staff.

The multiagency approach to combat corruption has proven successful. Australia consistently ranks as a low-corruption jurisdiction. It is generally accepted that there is no evidence of systematic or endemic integrity issues in the federal public sector. The government is firmly committed to ensuring the federal integrity framework is as strong as possible to maximise public confidence in our national institutions. In keeping with this, the government has committed to establishing the Commonwealth Integrity Commission, or CIC, to enhance national integrity arrangements across the federal public sector. It will include a public sector integrity division and a law enforcement integrity division, ensuring targeted attention to corruption and fraud across the whole public sector. Through the CIC, the government will have the ability to target serious criminal corruption that presents a threat to good public administration. All of these commissions and institutions are complex and sensitive in the investigations that they carry— (Time expired)

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