All parties should back former Commissioner Ipp's call for national ICAC

The Australian Greens have called on all parties to support the call of the former head of the NSW ICAC for a national anti-corruption body to be set up with the powers of a royal commission (ABC Four Corners http://tinyurl.com/n26uovu).

"If Labor and the Coalition do not now back a national ICAC the obvious question will be what do they have to hide?" Greens democracy spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

"The call by Mr David Ipp, recently retired ICAC Commissioner, for a national body similar to the NSW ICAC puts the heat on all politicians to back strong anti-corruption measures.

"An Australian Greens bill for a national Integrity Commissioner is before federal Parliament and as recently as last month Labor and the Abbott government joined forces to block a vote on it.

"Successive Coalition and Labor governments at the federal level have failed to deliver on this issue of integrity that goes to the heart of protecting our democratic institutions.

"With the federal Liberals increasingly caught in the NSW ICAC spotlight it is now more urgent that Prime Minister Tony Abbott act on Mr Ipp's call to set up this federal oversight. Failing to do so will align him with the old, dirty, discredited side of Australian politics.

"A national ICAC that highlights the separation between politics and business with powers to investigate corruption would serve the public interest and help restore some confidence in political bodies.

"Nearly 7000 people have signed the Greens' petition calling for a National ICAC and the Greens will continue to campaign to clean up Australian politics," Senator Rhiannon said.

The National Integrity Commission Bill 2013 will also establish a new Office of the Independent Parliamentary Adviser to advise MPs and Ministers on entitlements claims and the ethical running of their office that the public rightly expects. The adviser will also be tasked with developing a legally binding code of conduct for MPs for the Parliament to adopt.

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