Independent members of Federal Parliament, and their commitment to integrity and accountability, have been recognised in the awards made by the Accountability Round Table.
The awards honour the late Senator John Button, for outstanding commitment by a Minister or frontbencher, and the late Alan Missen for backbenchers. Their contribution to standards of decency in Federal Parliament set the standard for ART awards recipients.
The Button award goes to former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who oversaw the introduction of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Robodebt Royal Commission. It is the second time Mark Dreyfus has won the award.
The Missen award goes jointly to Senator David Pocock and Dr Monique Ryan. In her first term in Parliament after her election in 2022, she has been a strong advocate for action on climate, helped secure the recent reduction in HECS debt, and introduced a powerful Bill to regulate gambling. Senator Pocock as been a highly constructive Senator achieving significant improvements in legislative outcomes and tackling problems at a national level.
This year, for the first time, ART also commends three members of Parliament:
Zoe Daniel – recognised for her powerful advocacy to ban gambling advertising on television, for a federal anti-corruption commission, and a duty of care for social media companies.
Jackie Lambie – recognised for her powerful, passionate and highly principled work as a Senator, and
Russell Broadbent – recognised for his strong commitment to the plight of refugees, and for taking fiercely independent action on matters of conscience.
The awards were presented in Melbourne on 13 November by retired Justice Catherine Holmes, who presided over the Robodebt Royal Commission, and who gave an address at the awards ceremony.