During my campaigning I have been fortunate enough to speak with individuals who’ve experienced the sour taste of dealing with disobliging senior public servants and politicians. I have been shown letters, emails and videos which smell of cover-ups and agendas that do not serve Tasmanians.
Despite promises of transparency, both federal and Tasmanian anti-corruption and integrity bodies have left many Tasmanians disillusioned. The state’s Integrity Commission has long been criticized for its inability to investigate political corruption effectively, while the newly established National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has been dubbed a “watchdog that can’t bark.”
At the 2024 Tasmanian election, voters were bombarded with buzzwords like “transparency” and “integrity,” yet the reality has fallen short. Political donations remain undisclosed, and truth in political advertising is still unregulated, leaving voters in the dark about where their politicians’ loyalties truly lie. The state’s Integrity Commission, created to hold politicians accountable, is severely limited in scope. It cannot investigate politicians during elections, has never held a public hearing, and faces long delays in investigations.
On a federal level, the NACC’s effectiveness has been similarly questioned. Promises of transparency and accountability haven’t materialised, with “exceptional circumstances” required for public hearings, essentially shutting down the opportunity for public scrutiny. With both major political parties — Labor and the Coalition — seemingly in agreement to keep these processes opaque, Tasmanians feel the impact. Scandals involving government contracts and resource management, like RoboDebt and defence procurement, have reinforced the public perception of corruption without consequence.
For Tasmania, a state that relies heavily on political integrity for its environmental and economic future, the lack of real oversight leaves locals vulnerable. It’s clear that Tasmanians need a commission with real teeth, one that can investigate, prosecute, and most importantly, restore public trust in both state and federal governance.
It is my hope to work with other MPs in Canberra pushing for more political accountability and electoral integrity in Australia. By ensuring that politicians and public servants are held to a much higher standard comparable to those in the private sector, we need not suffer the stench of continual disappointment watching our children’s future squandered.