It is clear from experiences around the world that we can’t take our democracy for granted. Integrity is crucial for sustaining a functional government and public sector, but we can’t rely on trust alone. We need clear legislation to prevent evident self-interest from eroding public trust in the most important institution of our democracy – our parliament and political system.
Integrity in our political system
We need to make our political system more transparent and accountable. This means changing the rules around lobbying to ensure that political decisions aren’t unduly influenced by special interests. By publishing Ministerial diaries in real-time and requiring disclosure of lobbyists, we can increase trust in our leaders.
We also need to improve Freedom of Information laws to make sure they truly give people the right to access government information.
Infrastructure spending
Infrastructure projects should be based on what people really need, not political games. We’ve seen how projects like unnecessary carparks serve political agendas, not public need. With $120 billion in infrastructure spending, we must make sure decisions are based on fairness and the real needs of communities.
Fairer elections and campaign finance
To ensure transparency, we need all candidates to disclose all political donations over $1,000 in real time.
Electoral rules should create a level playing field and not advantage the two major parties.
Having fixed political terms (3 or 4 years) will create more stability and help politicians to focus on what matters long-term.
Truth in political advertising
Misleading political ads have become too common. We need laws that ensure political candidates can’t make false or misleading claims during election campaigns. Just like there are strict rules for advertising in other industries, we should have the same for politics.
Strengthening the public service
Our public service is crucial for delivering the services Australians rely on, but it’s often undervalued. We need to invest in training and resources to build expertise within the public sector, so it can serve the public better. We should also reduce the reliance on outside consultants, ensuring public servants have the skills to advise government effectively. Equally though, executive level APS managers and above must be held accountable for their decisions and actions within the workplace.