Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Have you ever seen someone snorkel in a mud pit? That's what it feels like watching this Prime Minister trying to tackle corruption. I think we all agree that the only politician who fears a corruption watchdog is a corrupt politician, so it stands to reason that the only political party that fears establishing a corruption watchdog is a corrupt political party. It's been 1,075 days since this government promised to establish an independent commission against corruption. That was at the last election. The Greens tabled a bill to establish exactly this, and it passed the Senate nearly two years ago. We've been campaigning in this place and outside this place for such a body for over two decades. No-one has been more consistent or courageous on this than the Greens. But the government has refused to bring on the Greens' bill in the House. Why? It is because the story of this poor excuse for a government is a litany of lies, deceit, scandals, rorts, rip-offs and corruption.

More than half of the LNP cabinet have been embroiled in some scandal or another. No wonder the Prime Minister, Mr Scott Morrison, won't bring on this Greens bill for debate; he may end up losing government if he did. That won't wash with Australians, who are increasingly seeing the LNP as a protection racket more than a political party—and not just for each other but for their big donors, such as in the fossil fuel industry. We urgently need political donation reform if we're going to clean up politics. This is the most corrupt government in our history. Bring on the election. It's time to turf them out.