Australian politicians now seem to broadly accept the need for anti-corruption action, but it must close loopholes
Having long resisted, federal politicians now appear to broadly accept what Australian citizens have been screaming at them: that there is profound concern about the potential for bad lobbying to corrupt our democracy, and great desire for its proper policing. As a result, a plurality of the political parties appear willing to do what states and other countries did long ago, and legislate for an independent federal anti-corruption watchdog.
This is a good thing but unless we fundamentally rethink how modern corruption can occur such a move will be inadequate in the fight to keep democracy “of the people … and for the people”. Two great obstacles stand in the way of anti-corruption efforts: the prevalence of gifts to politicians, and the revolving door between politics and lobbying, in which there is an increasing likelihood that decision makers will move into the private sector that they once oversaw.
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