2020-09-09
The Morrison government still refuses to call the Greens bill to establish a federal corruption watchdog on for a vote, one year after it passed the Senate.
Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, said time was up on the Coalition’s excuses.
“The Senate passed the Greens bill for a federal corruption watchdog one year ago today; so why are we still waiting?” Senator Waters said.
“Maybe it’s because the Morrison government is up to its eyeballs in dodgy deals for mates and pork barrelling.
“This year alone we’ve learnt the government directed sports grants towards key seats in the 2019 election, seen Morrison stack the Covid Commission with his fossil fuel friends, and watched the Shine Energy saga unravel.
“The Coalition has spent years peddling the myth that there’s no federal corruption. But you only have to look at its sideshow of scandals to see the massive influence big money and electoral ambition has had on the government’s decision-making.
"It’s been almost two years since Morrison promised his own national integrity commission, but all we’ve had is a discussion paper, and excuses for delay upon delay.
“Now Morrison says the government is too busy to establish a corruption watchdog. But it has somehow found the time this year to create a backdoor for dodgy donors to bypass strict state donations laws, and try to cut university funding and scrap environmental protections.
“We are living under the least transparent government in our country’s history that cares more about working the system for itself and its mining mates, than it does helping Australians through this crisis.”