Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

You think about the consequences of putting someone into a star chamber under the most extraordinary pressure, arguably false allegations—driving this woman to the brink. Shame on you. So what we have put forward, which is not supported by Labor, not supported by you, Senator Patrick, not supported by the Greens or the crossbench, is a model which provides natural justice. It will hold the entire public sector, including parliamentarians and their officers, to account. The Commonwealth Integrity Commission is to investigate corruption; it is not some tool used to air vexatious and politically motivated claims.

I just consider what I have gone through in the last few months from the likes of Fairfax and TheNew Daily. I have been accused of corruption because I delivered an election commitment to support the Torquay Bowls Club. Honestly, this is out of control. Politics in this country, courtesy of the crossbench and Greens and Labor, have become so toxic that you can't even deliver a community supported grant without being accused of corruption. It is no wonder that this government is taking this issue responsibly, and I say, as a tribute to Amanda Stapleton and all those other victims of anticorruption commissions who have been subjected to false allegations, whose lives have been destroyed, we are not going to follow that model. We are not going to have blood on our hands. We are not going to embrace your model.