The Liberals’ suggested amendments to the Integrity Commission Act are a positive step, but the loophole which means MPs and candidates can’t be investigated during election periods must be closed – and if the Rockliff Government doesn’t act, we will.
We have long pushed for the government’s proposed amendments to the Integrity Commission Act which incorporate recommendations from the Cox and Weiss Reviews. These improvements are long overdue and should be introduced by the government without any more delay.
Proposed changes to strengthen our integrity framework don’t, however, go far enough. They still don’t resolve the bizarre situation which means the Integrity Commission cannot investigate the conduct of MPs or incumbent candidates during election campaigns.
Tasmanians will remember without fondness the Liberal Party’s support of disgraced former MP, Adam Brooks, as a candidate in the 2021 State Election; despite his previous resignation for seriously misleading parliament, criminal charges against him and allegations he used fake identities to mislead women on dating sites.
Despite all this, the Integrity Commission didn’t have the power to investigate the then Premier Peter Gutwein’s backing of Brooks hoped return to Parliament. It simply doesn’t have the authority under its governing legislation.
The situation was a frustrating reminder of the limitations of the current Act. Tasmanians should have confidence that their watchdog is be able to investigate MPs, regardless of whether they’re in an election or not.
It’s time to give the Integrity Commission the teeth Tasmanians deserve it to have, and to bear from time to time in the interests of good governance.
This ridiculous loophole needs to be closed. If the Liberals don’t take up the recommendation in our submission to them, to ensure MPs and incumbent candidates can be investigated during elections in their bill, we’ll take the action needed and seek to amend it ourselves.
