Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

We continue to see and hear about the rise of Independents in the lead-up to the next federal election, and, almost universally, these incumbents and candidates are working on election platforms including three major issues. They are climate change, gender inequality and integrity. The reason that Independents are prioritising these issues and gaining traction is not because they're a party, as some misguided government members have asserted, but because these issues are inherently important and the community genuinely cares about them and intends to prioritise them at the election.

Moreover, these are three issues that, to different degrees, both major parties have let us down on repeatedly, and the community is sick and tired of that. For example, the government and opposition are basically in lockstep on climate change. For instance, both parties have committed to opening new fossil fuel power stations if elected, both parties continue to put forward false solutions like gas and carbon capture and storage, and both parties have committed to net zero by 2050, which we know is just a dangerous distraction from what's really needed.

Furthermore, the government and opposition continue to misdirect and spread confusion about issues like emissions reductions and renewable energy, and again it has been left to the crossbench to call this out. For example, my National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment (Transparency in Carbon Emissions Accounting) Bill would require Australia to keep track of its enormous contribution to global fossil fuels. Meanwhile, other crossbenchers have introduced legislation that pushes for a phase-out of fossil fuels as soon as possible, genuinely fast-tracks renewables and codifies ambitious net zero targets. Time and time again it has been the crossbench who have taken genuine action on climate change in this parliament.

Another issue where the government has spectacularly failed is gender equality, despite gender inequality and gendered violence continuing to be a major issue in the country. That's why I joined over 100,000 people in the March4Justice and listened to, and continue to listen to, the many strong voices demanding change. I simply can't understand why the government is not doing the same. Remember, a woman is still being killed each week in Australia due to family violence. Remember also that these are not women's issues but men's issues and that the shocking abuse of power and privilege by some men must stop. But to achieve real change we need more women in parliament and in other positions of power, we need to fully implement the Jenkins report and we need to fix the gender pay gap and other barriers preventing women from fully participating in the workforce.

It's pretty obvious as the 46th Parliament draws to a close that people are very unhappy with the state of politics. Indeed, things are so bad right now that many in the community hold politicians, politics and political parties in contempt. But this can be fixed, and again it's the Independents who have laid the groundwork.

First and foremost, Australia needs a federal integrity agency, but sadly politics and governance at the federal level has become so compromised that the last thing the federal government wants is an effective integrity agency. I'm not talking about the half baked agency the federal government said it would deliver but then never actually got around to. No. I'm talking about an effective integrity agency, one implementing the broadest definition of corruption that can take referrals from anyone, hold public hearings, make findings of guilt and go after politicians and their staff.

Secondly, we need political donation reform, which is why yesterday I introduced a bill to strengthen the transparency and accountability of political donations in Australia. My bill requires real-time disclosure, lowers the donation disclosure threshold to $1,000 aggregated—that is, in gross terms—that implements caps on donations and electoral expenditure, that expands the definition of gift and that prohibits political donations from particular industries.

Other key changes needed include improved whistleblower legal protection, for those who shine a light on misconduct; media freedom laws, to ensure the community knows what's actually going on; and the creation of 'truth in political advertising' laws. There is still much work to be done. I certainly hope that I am back here in the next parliament, and I look forward to more Independents joining me, so that we can continue to hold the big parties to account and to push for the real reform that the community is crying out for.