Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

Those are matters that are currently obviously before the relevant commission in Western Australia, and it may well be that charges are laid as a result of that. I do not want to impinge on that process, but I think everyone involved in politics on any side would be gravely disturbed by what we are seeing and hope that it would never occur at a federal level. I am not quite sure where Senator Murray is going with the question. I would be interested if he has any ideas or propositions with respect to how federal politics and the governance of federal parties, governments and oppositions can be improved.

I think it is true that both sides of federal politics in this country—and I say this with respect to the Labor Party when they were in government—are mercifully free of the taint that we have seen at state level not only in Western Australia but in other states. I think there is a very significant difference in the level of propriety that occurs at a federal level as compared with the state level. I think all state governments and state parliaments have much to learn from the revelations of what is going on in Western Australia. If Senator Murray—through you, Mr President—has any proposals that would advance the cause of good governance at a federal level, I would be happy to entertain them.