Additional Comments – Coalition Senators
Coalition Senators note paragraphs 3.8 to 3.44, of the
evidence presented by the Australian Public Service Commission:
The commission’s position is that we do not believe the APS
needs a full-blown state ICAC style anticorruption commission. The view has
been that that would be overkill given that there are a number of agencies that
already have jurisdiction in that area. Already we have found that there has
not been the systemic corruption that has been the subject of investigations in
the state systems.
As are the Attorney General’s Department’s evidence:
The Australian government does not support a National
Integrity Commission. The Australian government's approach to dealing with
corruption is integrated and multifaceted. We work to get the standards and
training right, assess risk and detect, investigate and respond to corruption.
Underpinning this approach is our democratic system of representative
government and the separation of powers enshrined in the Australian
Constitution. There are a range of institutions that play a role in protecting
against corruption and enabling scrutiny of the public and private sectors.
These include parliamentary committees that scrutinise government activity and
proposed laws; a free media; and an active civil society.[1]
The current approach whereby allegations of corruption at a
Commonwealth level can be investigated by a range of authorities, including the
Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission, combined with
the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct and Ministerial Code of Conduct,
enforced by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Australian
Public Service Commission respectively are such that the assertion of
shortcomings of the existing arrangements as asserted in paragraph 3.116 has
not been made out.
Senator the Hon. Eric Abetz Senator
the Hon. David Johnston
Liberal Senator for Tasmania Liberal
Senator for Western Australia
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