
Corruption
Rooting out corruption within Australian politics and public service
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85% of Australians believe that all politicians are corrupt.
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Former judges and anti-corruption commissioners want body with powers of a royal commission and far-reaching jurisdiction.
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Perceived corruption in the public service may have wiped $72 billion from Australia’s economy.
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Estimated cost to our economy approximately $5,000 (adjusted to 2018 GDP) per woman, man and child annually.

Overview
The Women’s Party is against corruption, and about bringing to an end or greatly reducing corruption amongst our politicians and public service.
We believe that political and public service corruption is costing our nation as much as 10% of our GDP, without taking into account the extra we are paying in loaded prices for the energy and services we consume and use.
The Women’s Party believes that until we address the issue of corruption within our government as a nation, the environmental problems like global warming, air pollution, urban sprawl, waste disposal, water pollution and theft, ozone layer depletion and climate change that affects every human, animal and nation on this planet will not be effectively addressed.
Corruption is estimated to cost our economy approximately $5,000 (adjusted to 2018 GDP) per woman, man and child annually. Corruption is crippling every aspect of our economy, health, public infrastructure, education, income and lifestyle.
We believe that with the recent advent of career politicians in the past two decades the laxity and lack of proper legislation criminalising and penalising the misuse, misappropriation and theft from the public purse by political parties, politicians and public servants has become the norm.
The lack of political will to tackle corruption has been aided and abetted by the proliferation of lobbyists accessing our public servants and politicians.
We have watched, most of us in dismay as our state and commonwealth utilities, services and assets have been sold off with no benefit to the Australian public.
The sheer magnitude and cost to our nation of political and public service corruption and the selloff of our public utilities weighs on our economy heavily as do its effects on the pockets and standard of living of every household in Australia.
It is time for all of us to say ENOUGH
In reality the solution is Straightforward! We do not need a Royal commission! We need our House of representatives and senate to enact legislation to forbid our political parties, our elected politicians and public servants from receiving money, gratuities at all, to make it a criminal offence with appropriate prison sentences. Confiscation of assets and appropriate fines.
Let’s clean up Australia! As a nation: WE want honesty & transparency in Government and in legislation!
The Women’s Party will propose legislation within the above guidelines and call for the creation an Australian Anti-Corruption body under the Attorney-General’s Department with an elite contingent of Australian Federal Police with the power to operate question and investigate and prosecute political and public service in all states and overseas.
The Solution
- In reality the solution is Straightforward! We do not need a Royal commission!
- We need our House of representatives and senate to enact legislation to forbid our political parties, our elected politicians and public servants from receiving money, gratuities at all, to make it a criminal offence with appropriate prison sentences. Confiscation of assets and appropriate fines.
- Let’s clean up Australia! As a nation, WE want honesty & transparency in Government and in legislation!
- The Women’s Party will propose legislation within the above guidelines and call for the creation an Australian Anti-Corruption body under the Attorney-General’s Department with an elite contingent of Australian Federal Police with the power to operate question and investigate and prosecute political and public service in all states and overseas.
Further Reading and References
- Perceived public service corruption sapped $72.3b from GDP: Australia Institute
https://www.smh.com.au/public-service/perceived-public-service-corruption-sapped-723b-from-gdp-australia-institute-20180110-h0g3ca.html - The missing millions: Political donations likened to money laundering
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-01/political-donations-likened-to-money-laundering/8227952 - 85% of us believe our politicians are corrupt, government refuses ICAC.
https://thebigsmoke.com.au/2018/09/03/85-us-believe-politicians-corrupt-government-refuses-icac/ - Former judges and anti-corruption commissioners want body to have powers of a royal commission and far-reaching jurisdiction.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/28/federal-icac-former-judges-reveal-plan-to-ferret-out-corruption - Australia’s political donation system has been likened to the operation of criminal money laundering with one key difference — the political donation system is entirely legal. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/21/overwhelming-majority-of-australians-believe-federal-politicians-are-corruptWorld Anti-Corruption Day: The Implications for Australia 09 DEC 2018 By Serena Lillywhitehttp://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/world-anti-corruption-day-implications-australia/ In her research into the reasons for electricity rises “Power Corrupts“, investigative reporter Jess Hill states: – “The astonishing story behind these price hikes has been all but ignored. And yet, it may be one of the greatest rorts in Australia’s history”. https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2014/july/1404136800/jess-hill/power-corrupts