ICAC inquiry doesn’t let Government off the hook, say Greens

“The inquiry has been a narrow exercise that examines a recorded conversation between a dead lender of last resort and a property developer, said Sylvia Hale MLC, Greens Spokesperson for Planning.

“While the Commissioner may believe that a public hearing was necessary to dispel mistrust of the government and administration of the state, it failure to investigate the broader issues of political corruption will serve only to increase that mistrust.

The Government will no doubt claim that it has emerged unscathed from the inquiry, but real questions remain to be answered. Why did the Mediches suddenly and uncharacteristically start donating significant sums to the Labor Party when the Government began to investigate the rezoning of land at Badgerys creek?

“No-where in the public hearings was it asked why developers would pay money to the governing party, and no-where was it discussed as to whether such payments would be likely to corrupt the decision making process.

“Does anyone really believe that developers, the gaming and alcohol industries, finance industry and so on really give so much money to political parties because they support democracy or openness?

“ The Government must immediately expand the ICAC’s charter to include corrupt actions by public officials before they became public officials, and to allow ICAC to make findings that, although actions may not be corrupt in the strict definition in the Act, certain actions give rise to a reasonable perception of corrupt or biased conduct and have a tendency to undermine confidence in public administration.

“The ICAC is a fig-leaf behind which the government hides, and behind that a massive system of corrupting donations that has grown up, said Ms Hale

“As a first step the Government should legislate to prevent former members of parliament o senior public servants from becoming lobbyists. Surely those former MP’s have  many other skills by which they may earn an honest living”, said Ms Hale.

Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124