Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before asking that motion No. 424 be taken as formal, I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Waters will also sponsor the motion. At the request of Senator Watt and Senator Waters, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

  (i) that the Morrison Government committed to implement a Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) on 13 December 2018,

  (ii) that it has been 424 days since that commitment and the Morrison Government has still failed to introduce legislation to establish the body, and

  (iii) reports that the Member for Wide Bay, Mr Llew O'Brien, has called for the proposed federal anti-corruption body to be given "more strenuous, stronger" powers;

(b) calls on the Attorney-General, Mr Porter, to revise his proposed anti- corruption commission to give it the powers, independence and transparency it needs to effectively combat corruption in the federal sphere; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to introduce legislation on the CIC as a matter of priority.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is committed to introducing a Commonwealth integrity commission that has the powers and resources it needs to be effective, and will soon release an exposure draft of legislation to establish the CIC for public consultation. The Labor Party, by their own admission, have said that reform of this magnitude is complex and would require extensive consultation, saying that the development of the legislation should take 12 months after the election. But, unlike Labor's seven basic design principles for an integrity commission, the government's design is comprehensive. We have also committed nearly double the amount of funding that Labor were prepared to commit to the CIC. The government has taken the time to get this right.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 424 be agreed to.