In a case of true Kafkaesque synchronicity, the Turnbull Government has moved to strengthen its regime against foreign bribery, everywhere except Australia, from Domainfax:
The federal government will hire a new team of specialist anti-corruption investigators in Perth after a series of revelations in Fairfax Media about high-level foreign bribery, including at WA mining company Sundance Resources.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan announced on Monday that a new fraud and anti-corruption team, including investigators, forensic accountants and lawyers, will tackle corporate corruption and would “prioritise foreign bribery investigations”.
Mr Keenan said the new funding would pay for 26 new officers. New teams would also be located in Sydney and Melbourne.
“Australia has a reputation for fairness; we believe it is part of our national character,” Mr Keenan said in a statement.
“When Australian companies engage in unethical and corrupt behaviour overseas, this undermines Australia’s reputation of the nation of a fair go.”
Hmm, well, what about at home? No such luck, from The Australian:
An afternoon tea paid for by Bob Carr’s Australia-China Relations Institute and hosted by Labor senator Sam Dastyari was held at the commonwealth parliamentary offices in Sydney, giving a visiting Chinese official access to other federal MPs.
As the senator comes under increasing pressure over his links to Chinese donors, who have paid a $40,000 legal bill for him and $1670 in staff travel costs, further details are emerging about his links to the former Labor foreign minister’s China think tank.
The revelation comes as analysis by The Australian shows Senator Dastyari’s campaign to win over Chinese voters by expressing support for Beijing’s stand on the South China Sea may have boosted his election result, with his primary vote highest in electorates with large numbers of Chinese Australians.
…Chinese property developer Yuhu Group is a sponsor of ACRI. Its director Haung Xiangmo is the donor who paid Senator Dastyari’s legal fees. Former NSW Labor treasurer Eric Roozendaal is vice-chairman of Yuhu Property (Australia).
This is a perfectly legitimate activity known as “second track diplomacy”. The problem arises with the personal nature of the funding provided for Mr Dastyari, who should resign forthwith.
More to the point, where are Mr Turnbull’s team of investigators for the Federal Parliament?
