Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the calls for a new national corruption body are wrong. Australia has one of the best justice systems in the world. We have a system where everybody is treated equally before the law whether you're a blue-collar worker, a politician or a CEO. The support pillars of this system are a police force that is resourced and vested with powers to pursue allegations of wrongdoing, a criminal justice system that treats every Australian equally and free, a strong press that is able to report without fear or favour. We have 26 other bodies oversighting government and business. A national corruption body would set up a separate system that would undermine the principle of one justice system for every Australian by introducing a separate and different system for politicians. If there's an allegation of wrongdoing or corruption, it should be the police that investigate and prosecute, and the courts that bring the verdict.

Look at the few but well-publicised cases of corruption in Australia in recent years. It was actually the brilliant investigative journalism of Kate McClymont of TheSydney Morning Herald that did more than any corruption body to shine a light on Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald. It was ultimately the New South Wales Court of Appeal that heard and upheld the convictions against Obeid. Former Labor minister Andrew Theophanous's crimes and corruption were reported by the media, investigated by the police and ultimately punished with jail by the Victorian county court—not a corruption body.

If you're a blue-collar worker and you commit a crime, you should be heard and punished by the courts. If you're a CEO and you commit a crime, you should be heard and punished by the courts. If you're a politician and you commit a crime, you should be treated like every other Australian and be heard and punished by the courts.