Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Next week we will see the government's legislation for the National Anti-Corruption Commission. It will be a significant moment in the national push for an integrity watchdog at a federal level in Australia. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to implement an integrity commission that holds politicians to account and creates a better level of transparency and governance at the federal level.

I've been in regular contact with the Attorney-General, and I'm pleased that we are in agreement on many points, but the job is far from finished. We need an independent whistleblower commissioner, sufficient independent and protected funding, strong oversight mechanisms that protect its independence from the government of the day, proper jurisdiction over third parties and the ability for own-motion investigations. We also need a significant pro-integrity agenda, including education, capacity building and prevention. I've been fighting for a strong integrity commission since the moment I stepped into this place. The government has acted swiftly and I applaud that. But I don't consider the introduction of the legislation to be 'job done'. I'll be working hard to make sure we get it right. I'll work in good faith, and I'll be constructive and fair, but I won't stop, I won't cut corners and I will never stop fighting for integrity in politics.