Page 1425 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 3 May 2016
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pleased to have this opportunity to talk about the importance of adhering to the ministerial code of conduct. Of course, that code of conduct seeks that members and those who become ministers demonstrate the highest standards of personal and professional standards and behaviour, and that they act only in the interests of the people of the ACT and they act lawfully, with integrity, with probity, and with respect for others. They are the sort of standards you would expect to see in such a code of conduct. The code of conduct covers areas such as declaring personal and pecuniary interest, cabinet conventions, post-ministerial employment and conflicts of interest—again, the sort of content you would expect to see in that.
It is not dissimilar to the members code of conduct that covers all members in this place, including those who have not become ministers. The original 2005 version was refreshed in 2013 after a review by Stephen Skehill, who is the Assembly’s ethics and integrity adviser. It now sets out a statement of the values and integrity that the members of this place should uphold. Again, I am sure all members have read them. I think that they are pretty clear. But it is very advantageous that we have the ethics and integrity adviser, because some issues arise where it is valuable to seek another opinion—an outside opinion, a very informed opinion. That is something that our ethics and integrity adviser brings—a dispassionate view and one of wisdom. It is something I know a good handful of members avail themselves of each year, and when we receive at least eight or nine new members next year, I would encourage those new members particularly to avail themselves of it. I think all of us, should we return in this place, would encourage the new members to make sure that they are aware of it, because it is a very good service to avail yourself of if you have any uncertainty.
We all have an expectation on us from the community that we are operating to the highest standards. There have been many examples over jurisdictions and countries where ministers and members have not behaved appropriately. That, unfortunately, tends to give politicians, in the broad sense of that word, a bad name. That is a shame, because many members do operate to the highest standards, but, unfortunately, there are those who, at times, let the broader cause of politics down in not maintaining those highest possible standards.
To enforce the code of conduct, we have brought forward the Commissioner for Standards. That has been a positive development in this Assembly. Previous to that, we have seen a circumstance where too often the politics has been the driver of how various instances have been judged. Having a Commissioner for Standards in place is a very good development. In this Assembly now, we have a pretty comprehensive framework of mechanisms to enable members to ensure that they get advice in the first instance and, where there is dispute over a member’s conduct, look at it from a place that is considered to be relatively objective.
I hope that this gives the community assurance that there are a range of mechanisms in place here in the ACT to provide both advice in advance and the opportunity to follow matters up afterwards.
That said, certainly there is scope for further improvement. My colleagues nationally are pushing for a national independent commission against corruption; I think that is
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