Corruption scandals engulf plutocrats

Advertisement
url

The last few weeks have not been kind to Australia’s reputation for transparency, rule of law and democratic process. We’ve had the yet to be formally investigated RBA scandal and the as yet formally ivestigated Leighton scandal. Both have led to the yet to be formally investigated ASIC missing-in-action scandal. Meanwhile, the Government has said nothing about any of them. And perhaps the reason why is that it doesn’t have the moral authority nor political motivation to make corruption ‘top of mind’ for the polity. From Fairfax:

Coalition MPs are endangering their reputations as economic managers by charging taxpayers for personal indulgences such as wedding travel, warns former leader John Hewson.

Dr Hewson’s call for higher standards follows a string of expenses scandals involving senior members of the Coalition, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott, billing taxpayers to attend weddings.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said MPs should use their judgment and err on the side of not making expense claims if they had any doubts. Dr Hewson said: “I don’t believe in unlimited access to the public purse.”

Fairfax Media can also reveal that a cycling enthusiast from Queensland, Labor MP Bernie Ripoll, enjoyed several stages of the Tour de France during a taxpayer-funded ”study tour” to inspect the country’s bicycle infrastructure. The study tour cost taxpayers $5474 but Mr Ripoll said he used five days of ”personal time” to watch the cycling event, as he was entitled to do.

On Sunday, Fairfax Media revealed that three Coalition MPs – Julie Bishop, Barnaby Joyce and Teresa Gambaro – had claimed more than $12,000 in travel expenses to return from a lavish wedding in India where they were guests of billionaire Gina Rinehart.

Mr Abbott also confirmed he repaid $1095 spent in travelling to the wedding of former colleague Sophie Mirabella seven years ago. The return of the money was prompted by media inquiries last week.

Dr Hewson, a former Liberal leader, said any new prime minister must set clear standards for the team as the ”fish rots from the head”.

But former Howard government minister Peter Reith disagreed, describing the wedding expense scandals as ”petty” and arguing that politicians should be entitled to unlimited travel…As a minister Mr Reith racked up a $50,000 phone bill at taxpayers’ expense, which he repaid.

About the author
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geo-politics and economics portal. He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.