by jmsthornton | Oct 19, 2016 | Corruption, Federal Government, Ministerial Responsibility, National Integrity Commission, Submissions
On 24 February 2016, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee on the establishment of a National Integrity Commission. This Select Committee was established to inquire into whether a national integrity commission should be established to address...
by jmsthornton | Jan 24, 2016 | IBAC, Ministerial Responsibility, Victorian Government Integrity System Reform
The Victorian Government revealed its plans to strengthen the powers of IBAC (The Independent Broad Based Anti Corruption Commission) in November of last year. Sadly it seems these reforms will be insufficient to prevent any investigated party from launching court...
by jmsthornton | Jan 4, 2016 | Corruption, Federal Government, McMullan Principle, Ministerial Responsibility, News, Reforms, Rule of Law
A number of people are very concerned at the undermining of judicial independence that is the effect of the new terrorism laws, including Spencer Zifcak. Spencer Zifcak is a member of ART, as well as Allan Myers Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Academy...
by jmsthornton | Oct 27, 2014 | Federal Government, Ministerial Responsibility, Public Trust, Victoria
A timely editorial in The Age on Saturday 24th October, “Politicians must be seen to honour public trust” argued that “Tourism Minister Andrew Robb’s investments in restaurants and the promotion of one of them by a government agency is a...
by jmsthornton | Oct 21, 2014 | Corruption, Federal, Federal Government, Ministerial Responsibility, News, Open Government
Following on from the revelations of the NSW ICAC, there have been a number of calls for a “federal ICAC” or federal anti -corruption commission. This year, there were a number of initiatives to try to establish such a commission. The earliest appeal for a...
by jmsthornton | Sep 23, 2014 | Election, Freedom of Information, Ministerial Responsibility, Political Funding, Victoria
ART has written to the leaders of the three major parties contesting the Victorian State Election on November 29th, seeking their views on the redressing of three serious deficiencies in Victoria’s democratic governance arrangements if re-elected in the forthcoming...