Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. After 10 years of the Greens campaigning for a federal corruption watchdog, the major parties finally agreed in 2018 that one was needed. Twelve months ago the government said it was imminent. Since then we've had a constant stream of scandals, but still no bill. Has the government delayed because the Prime Minister knew that many of his ministers were involved in integrity scandals and there were more to come?

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

No.

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

Senator Waters, a supplementary question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, at least we got an answer that time, thank you. Legal experts have said that, even if it had been introduced, the weak design principles that your government proposed would mean that the body would not have been able to investigate any of those scandals that have embroiled your government's ministers. Why would you deliberately design a watchdog that was toothless? What are you scared it will find?

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

I completely reject the premise of the question. There is nothing in this question that I agree with. Of course, the parliament, including the Senate, will have the opportunity of conducting a debate about the bill to establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission in due course.

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

Senator Waters, a final supplementary question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Senate in fact already did that. The Greens bill to establish an independent corruption watchdog passed the Senate five months ago and it would've applied to all of the ministerial scandals that are further eroding public trust. If you had any commitment to cleaning up politics, you would bring on that bill for a vote in the House and we could have a federal corruption watchdog by Easter. Will you do so?

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

No.