Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. I was a member of the select committee which recommended a Commonwealth agency to address crime and corruption matters at the federal level. Minister, every state has established a similar agency. Labor has affirmed its support for a commission, and Australians across the country have made it unequivocally clear that now more than ever the government needs to be held to higher standards. What is the new Prime Minister's position on the urgent need for a national ICAC?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's position hasn't changed. Of course, we share the commitment right around the chamber that corruption must be fought everywhere, and we have effective law enforcement bodies in place, with clear responsibilities, to enforce compliance with the laws and to ensure that any corrupt activity is identified and dealt with appropriately.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hinch, a supplementary question?

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Despite that answer, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, the Commonwealth Auditor-General and the Commonwealth Ombudsman have all identified misconduct of ministers and parliamentarians as the largest and clearest gap in the so-called multiagency framework. Now that we've got a new Prime Minister, how long will it take him to adopt a policy to take action on the urgent need for a national ICAC?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hinch is quite right: the government does have a robust, multifaceted framework to combat corruption in the Australian Public Service. Under this framework, multiple agencies have responsibilities for preventing, detecting and responding to corruption—for example, the Australian Federal Police are, of course, responsible for the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Centre, which has expertise in investigating serious and complex corruption offences, including fraud, foreign bribery and certain APS offences. The Commonwealth Ombudsman considers and investigates complaints where people believe they have been treated unfairly by an Australian government department.

Australian Public Service census data consistently indicates a very high perceived standard of ethical behaviour across the Australian government. The government is always looking at how we can strengthen our current approach to combatting corruption. The government does not presume a single agency will be more effective in combatting corruption than the current approach.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hinch, do you have a final supplementary question?

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I could barely hear half of that answer. I pass on the second supplementary question because it's time wasting.