McKenzie sacrificial lamb but corruption runs deeper – Stephen Charles
McKenzie sacrificial lamb but corruption runs deeper By Stephen Charles AO QC, former Victorian Court of Appeal judge and director of The Centre for Public Integrity. Published online in the Canberra Times February 7 2020 -...
A Government’s first duty is to protect its citizens – a letter
David Harper, Former Supreme Court Judge and now Secretary and Director of ART writes to his local Federal member,The Hon Michael Sukkar, Assistant Treasurer. We should all do this.... ____________________________________ Dear...
Realities of Open Government Workshop, 12 Feb 2020, 1.30-4.30pm
Open Government Workshop, 12 Feb 2020, 1.30-4.30pm Interested in government transparency, accountability and how to power public participation? You are invited to a workshop to hear about open government and to share your...
ART Integrity Awards for 45th Parliament
Accountability Round Table Integrity AwardsOn 15th October 2019, ART welcomed two outstanding recipients of its awards for conspicuous integrity in the 45th Parliament: – The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tony...
ART Policy - Campaign finance
ART policy - FOI
A powerful and independent freedom of information scheme must be a central feature of a functional democracy, an essential step toward enhancing transparency and accountability.
The existing basis of FOI legislation laid down in the 1980s is sound – yet over the last decade the culture has become one of secrecy and obstruction. Statutory time limits are commonly breached and redactions are the norm.
ART reforms
An Integrity System for Australia
The reforms in brief:
A National Integrity System that is proactive, preventive, coordinated and cooperative | A National Integrity Commission that is independent, has investigative powers, makes recommendations and findings of fact, can investigate the judiciary | Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner
Political donations regime & election funding
The reforms in brief:
Caps of ~$1,000 on donations | Real time disclosure | Limits on election campaign expenditure incl. third party entities | Sanctions for electoral breaches | An independent body for public funding | Laws that require truth in political advertising
Civil society engagement
The reforms in brief:
support civic participation in the OGP | value public participation in decisions and policy | recognise the benefits of public engagement, including that of women | make policy and decisions more transparent | allow NFPs freedom of expression, association and opinion | greater collaboration
see more here …
Data in politics & government
The reforms in brief:
Ban covert digital techniques of influence | remove electoral & privacy act exemptions | supervise government data collection | recognise that personal data cannot be de-identified | control profiling for political use | control government buying-in data | cover social media in advertising rules | ban government data on-selling | citizen opt-in rights
Policy on the big issues – global warming
The reforms in brief:
An evidence-based, whole of government approach to the environment | a transparent mechanism to drive down emissions | government role in decarbonizing solutions | cooling off period for public officers going into the private sector
Lobbyists
The reforms in brief:
In-house lobbyists incl. in Register | matters discussed disclosed | documents made public | funds, gifts & events declared | oversight of Code & Register by the National Integrity System | campaign donations & expenditure limits | more public engagement in decisions | Senate role in countering undue influence
Integrity Lecture, Awards
Submissions
National Integrity Commission, OAIC, OGP