Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Today has been a long time coming. Today is a win for honesty, for accountability, for integrity and for trust. Today the government and the parliament work to repay the trust of all those Australians who voted for a transparent, powerful, independent National Anti-Corruption Commission. Today we take an important step to rebuild trust in government, our public institutions and our democracy. Australian democracy is a great national achievement, but turmoil and tension around the world remind us, sometimes harshly, that democracy can never be taken for granted. It needs to be nourished, cared for, treated with respect and protected from the threat of extremism and polarisation and the corrosive influence of corruption and cynicism. The best way to make democracy stronger is to make government and the parliament work better. That is one of the compelling reasons we need a National Anti-Corruption Commission. It represents an end to rorting and waste. It represents dedication to real accountability and delivery. It shows that our government is doing what we always said it would do, and that is to hold itself to a higher standard.

I say to all honourable members that the way we have done this matters too. The parliament has worked together on this—government, crossbench, opposition. I particularly pay tribute to the member for Indi and the service that she has given in achieving this outcome, and I salute the constructive contributions of all who engaged with this bill, seeking to make it better. We're supporting some amendments that were made in the Senate to improve this legislation, which is the way that this parliament should operate. The cooperation has given us the stronger, better and more permanent body this legislation will create. It is a reminder of a bigger truth that the best way to restore people's trust in parliament is to demonstrate that parliament can function better and deliver for people—to show the power and value of this place to improve people's lives, to serve the national interest, to repay the sacred trust Australians have placed in all of us. This is a day that will change politics for the better, it will help us change our nation for the better and I commend the bill to the House.

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