Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Senator Fierravanti-Wells has described the draft Commonwealth Integrity Commission model put up by the Morrison-Joyce government as 'the weakest and least effective integrity agency in the country'. Is Senator Fierravanti-Wells right?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Urquhart for her question. The answer to her question, in short, is no. The model that Senator Cash was speaking about in the chamber just before is a model that has been carefully developed to ensure that it focuses where an integrity commission should focus in terms of the elimination of corruption, tackling corruption in public office and ensuring that public officials and office holders are held to account and that you do effectively prevent that.

It builds upon what is a very strong existing framework in the Commonwealth government. We should never underplay the important role that our existing integrity agencies, police agencies and others play in relation to ensuring that the law is upheld in Australia and that we do have one of the best systems, arguably, in the world in terms of transparency, accountability and the legal arrangements that apply in our country to ensure that in this country everyone is held to account and everyone operates within the law.

But the government recognises the opportunity to enhance that framework, and that's the work that Senator Cash and her predecessor have done in developing this model. They have developed a model that is underpinned by hundreds of pages of legislation. I remind Senator Urquhart and her colleagues that the Labor Party's integrity commission is a two-page glossy brochure at present. So Senator Cash has hundreds of pages of legislation, that, if the Labor Party were willing to back it, could be passed through this parliament. Senator Urquhart, you and your team have two pages. It's a nice glossy brochure—congratulations to those who did the design work—but of course it's not actually an integrity commission model at all.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Urquhart, a supplementary question?

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells has also said:

Negative public perceptions are compounded when politicians dig their heels in, spin the story and fail to take responsibility for their actions.

Is Senator Fierravanti-Wells referring to Mr Morrison?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells is as entitled as any of the other 75 senators elected to this place to come into this chamber, to provide speeches, to give general reflections in relation to the way in which politics operate. I recognise—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the enormous contribution that Senator Fierravanti-Wells makes, on behalf of New South Wales, to our party and to our government in particular, and she has done so through a wide range of different roles. But I know, as well, that the model for an integrity commission we have developed is a sound model—a model that strikes the balance of ensuring that we would have an integrity commission focused on rooting out corruption, and on prosecuting where applicable, but not on show trials. I know those opposite just want show trials; they just want politics. We actually want effective reform.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Senator McAllister! Senator Urquhart, a second supplementary question?

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells has asked:

… those who resist the introduction of an effective federal integrity body raise people's curiosity. One has to ask the question: are they conflicted? Why are they resisting the implementation of such a body?

What is Mr Morrison trying to hide from the last eight years?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're a government that proudly turns up, answers questions—even sometimes quite silly ones—and works its way through all the different processes. Indeed, having said that we would develop an integrity commission, we spelled out the type of integrity commission that we would develop. We've gone through the process of developing that into legislation. We have the legislation there. We've budgeted $150 million to support it and to provide for it. The only barrier—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to it actually passing—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

into law are those opposite, who say—

The:

Minister! Resume your seat. Until there is silence in the chamber—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong! It's an answer to one of your questions, Senator Wong; you possibly should be listening to the answer. Interjections are always disorderly. I cannot hear the minister and he's standing only a few metres from me. Minister, you have the call.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, their two-page glossy was developed by the member for Isaacs, the shadow Attorney-General. But of course we know his track record, which shows what the Labor Party really want. He's sought, on nine different occasions, to refer matters to the Australian Federal Police, and they've all been tossed out because it's all just about frivolous politics, all about show trials, all about smearing and allegations by those opposite.