Scott Morrison has made it patently clear that he thinks he is above the law and that public money is his to spend as he sees fit without having to answer to anyone. The judiciary disagrees.
“I have serious criticisms of the NSW ICAC model, I’ve never been a fan of how it’s conducted itself.
And I don’t care barristers and lawyers and others up there in Macquarie Street – I don’t mean in the Parliament, I mean sitting around in the barristers’ chambers – disagree with me.
They disagree with me all the time. I’ve never had much truck with them over the course of my entire political career.
It’s just not about having any integrity division, one that is driven by populism, one that’s just been driven by the latest thought bubble.
If we are going to so disempower our elected representatives to do things about what is needed in their communities, then what is the point?
We can’t just hand government over to faceless officials to make decisions that impact the lives of Australians from one end of the country to the other. I actually think there’s a great danger in that.
It wouldn’t be Australia anymore if that was the case, it would be some kind of public autocracy.”
“We are retired judges who believe that a National Integrity Commission is urgently needed to fill the gaps in our integrity system and restore trust in our political processes. Nothing less than halting the serious erosion of our shared democratic principles is at stake.
There must be conferred upon that commission a broad jurisdiction and strong investigative powers, including the power to hold public hearings, and respond to bona fide complaints from the public, so that serious or systemic corruption and misconduct can be adequately investigated and exposed.
Despite recent criticisms of anti-corruption commissions, the widely accepted case for a well-designed national integrity commission remains impregnable.
This is public money, held on trust for the nation as a whole, to be spent in the national interest and not for unethical political purposes or illegitimate private gain.
Where billions are to be spent and significant power is available to dispense it with little oversight, greedy people with convenient consciences and powerful connections will ensure that, with the manipulation of their influence, they will obtain illegal or unethical advantage to the detriment of the interests of the general public.
And they will do so by means which only a specialist anti-corruption body will have the skill and power to detect.
Institutions of democracy are being eroded. Important roles in government are being given to political friends. And there is no proper scrutiny of ministerial decision making. We must act now to rein in corruption in Australia.”
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I applaud these brave former justices who, even though they are retired, hold the integrity of our democratic system as a major concern.
Effectively, should this government be re-elected they have ruled themselves out of any positions as Royal Commissioners or other such enquiries : Morrison doesn’t forget those who question him.
It is well to record what others of his party have said of Morrison :
“Morrison is not interested in the rules-based order, it is his way or the highway – an autocrat, a bully who has no moral compass,” she said.
She said Mr Morrison had a long history as a back-stabber. Morrison is not fit to be prime minister.”
“His actions conflict with his portrayal as a man of faith; he has used his so-called faith as a marketing advantage,” she said.
Liberal Senator Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells – March 2022
The share of political appointments to the AAT has skyrocketed from 6% under the Howard Government and 5% under the Rudd/Gillard Government to 40% in 2019–2022. Many of them have no legal qualifications and 10% of political appointees had education levels below the level of a bachelor’s degree.
Alana Matheson, the former Liberal deputy mayor of Campbelltown and the daughter of two-term Liberal MP Russell Matheson, was appointed to the $387,960 per annum post as a Fair Work Commissioner. Former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella was also made a FWC commissioner on the same salary, on the same day. Ms Mirabella was appointed until 2033 and Ms Matheson until 2047.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/year-of-the-mate-at-least-13-former-liberal-mps-staffers-given-plum-jobs-20210429-p57nk8.html
Sophie Mirabella’s husband Greg has been gifted a casual vacancy in the Senate.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mirabella-2-0-takes-aim-at-independent-voices-candidates-ahead-of-election-20220209-p59v62.html
we can but hope that the general population have woken up to Scotty’s malfeasance and vote him out and that the incoming government establishes a federal ICAC which begins holding Morrison and his corrupt cronies to account
ps Kaye, can a new government revoke such appointments?
If Labor wins government the Libs legacy of a politicised AAT, Human Rights Commission, Public Service will be among the more serious obstacles it will have to negotiate. The rotten Liberals have left a carpet of land mines in the form of cronies, failed politicians, failed or former party apparatchiks not to mention hostile or hollowed out oversight bodies to obstruct and frustrate an incoming (non coalition) government. If the Coalition is returned, dog help us all, a promised public service dividend increase would absolutely impact government services despite the mealy-mouthed claims by Birmingham et al that it won’t.Given the breadth of groups Scummo has offended it’s hard to see how today’s claims of a tightening of the polls can be real. Australians can’t be that stupid can they?
Pierre,
Just as a guesss, I think the answer is yes, but it would cost us a fortune to remove them from their troughs. Plus, if Labor gets the lower house but can’t secure the senate then I believe they would be stonewalled at every turn to do something about it.
There’s a load of “rotten Australia” now, but, too many dimwits live in this rottenness and accept it as normal, all they ever knew. They all do it don’t they, lie and cheat?? Morrison is such a reeking turd he pushes this line as it may work to his advantage if enough lie, cop it up ’em, think of tomorrow and say “oh well”… so, let us wait until the count is over, by weeks. We’ve never has such a shitskulled, lazy, incompetent liar is this brown dropping, yet people just vote for their own reasons of lack of them by custom. I’ve just early voted; the volunteers are out and the conservative ones push on with their own confidence, or is it happy ignorance? P Fletcher, my local fraud member, is a sure thing, useless, inactive, unremarkable, a dud.
pierre,
The AAT appointments are for a specified term (3, 5 or 7 years) and may or may not be renewed at the end of their term.
The Fair Work Commission ones have been appointed until age 65.
Presumably, they could be dismissed for misconduct but I can’t find the rules about that at this stage.
So no, they can’t just revoke the appointments.
Unaccountable ministerial appointments of favoured cronies to lucrative posts like the FWC, what could possibly go awry?
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6059713/michael-lawler-admits-he-benefited-from-hsu-while-partner-kathy-jackson-was-in-charge/
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/former-fair-work-vice-president-sues-abc-over-four-corners-deceit-20220315-p5a4qq
The examples are endless
Political tribunal appointee in hot water over Frydenberg election sign
A former Liberal senator given a $500,000-a-year job at the AAT is being counselled for the second election in a row about displaying campaign signs for Josh Frydenberg.
Synon, who filled a casual vacancy in 1997 to become a Liberal senator until 1999, has been a part-time member of the AAT’s migration division and its precursors since 2001.
In December 2020, the government elevated her to the full-time senior role as deputy president of the social services section, for a three-year term that would have expired next year. Attorney-General Michaelia Cash renewed her appointment six days before the election was called, meaning Synon remains in the position until May 2027.
This week, AAT member Michael Manetta made public allegations Synon shifted him out of a position reviewing social services cases because he overturned too many government decisions.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/political-tribunal-appointee-in-hot-water-over-frydenberg-election-sign-20220517-p5alze.html
Does anyone in Australia even agree with anything Scummo says.
Well maybe just the gutless corrupt cowards in COAL-NP who need him to win the election, so they can keep their taxpayer funded jobs and keep getting their share of the corrupt money.
No sign of desperation in Kooyong …. much!
More rorts …
Monday’s Kooyong announcements
16 May 2022
KOOYONG SPORTING FACILITIES TO RECEIVE
$1.34 MIllion investment
16 May 2022
$5 MILLION UPGRADE FOR SHARED BIKE PATHS IN KOOYONG
16 May 2022
KOOYONG TO RECEIVE SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS
the Yarra Riverkeeper will receive $200,000
Maranoa Botanic Gardens will also receive $500,000
We are also working with Boroondara Council by providing funding to support their rollout of EV charging station infrastructure at 6 Council sites.
https://joshfrydenberg.com.au/latest-news/
Kaye Lee: Just to be clear, what are the educational qualifications of the various appointees in the FWC and the AAT that you have mentioned? I suspect, nothing beyond High School, not even a TAFE qualification, but still…
totaram
You have to have been in the Young Liberals to qualify for these very cushy jobs !
These positions are known as a sinecure defined as :
A sinecure (/ˈsɪnɪkjʊər/ or /ˈsaɪnɪkjʊər/; from Latin sine ‘without’ and cura ‘care’) is an office, carrying a salary or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service.
totaram,
From that Australia Institute article about the AAT….
“10% of political appointees had education levels below the level of a bachelor’s degree, compared with 2% of non-political appointees.
Since 2016, the current Coalition Government has appointed seven Senior Members without legal qualifications, and all were political appointments.”