Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. Why is it important that standards of integrity be raised to improve voters' trust in our democratic system?

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Spence for his question. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is a landmark reform which I hope will have a profound impact on our democracy once it is established. The commission will not just investigate corruption after it happens but seek to prevent corruption as far as is possible. The commission will be tasked with education and prevention functions. The commission will provide guidance and information to support the public sector to identify and address vulnerabilities to corruption. It will educate the public sector and raise awareness of corruption risks and how to avoid them. The commission has the capacity to hold public hearings, and when findings of corruption are made the commission will be able to release public reports. This visibility is important and will ensure the Australian public see the commission doing its job.

Trust in government hit an all-time low in the most recent Australian Election Study, conducted by the Australian National University in 2019. Only 59 per cent of Australians were satisfied with how their democracy was working. There is no doubt Australians at the 2022 election felt the same way. Something was broken, and they wanted it fixed. The Albanese Labor government heard that call, and the National Anti-Corruption Commission bills are our answer. The main bill to establish the commission passed this House just before question time. Our sincere hope is that the commission will help to restore trust in federal politics. Australians will know that there is a strong watchdog with teeth, ensuring that those who are fortunate enough to be elected to this place are not misusing their position for personal gain.

Nothing is more important than ensuring our behaviour in this place upholds the bond of trust with Australians. That bond is the basis of our democracy. There has been much damage done in the last decade to that bond. Just one example of that is the promise made in December 2018 to establish a national anticorruption commission, which was never delivered. The bills currently before the parliament to establish a National Anti-Corruption Commission are the first steps in that repair job. It is up to all members in both houses to do the right thing, come together and pass the bills before parliament. Let's send a strong message to all Australians that we can get this job done.